Why this conference, now!

Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) Kingston hired two students at Queen's University for a 2015 summer research project. Little did anyone involved know then, this research project would turn into a conference that sought to address some of the gaps identified in the summer research project.

OPIRG Kingston released a call for research proposals that would illuminate rape culture on Queen's University campus or university campuses more broadly. The authors decided to turn to look for solutions to rape culture at other universities and interviewed several people working on campuses across Canada addressing rampant sexual violence in their own contexts. The authors learned from thoughtful anti-violence workers that innovative programs are happening in post-secondary context. What the report further identifies is potential ways of addressing rape culture and one of the ways to address endemic sexual violence on and off universities campuses is to focus on prevention (without cutting funding or resources necessary to support survivors). You can read the full report, "We Believe in a Campus Free of Sexual Violence," here.

As the report notes, even though rape culture on university campuses is not a new phenomenon, it has recently gained heightened attention in the public arena. Avid news readers and social media buffs likely noticed how story after story highlighted ongoing issues of sexual violence in Canada, and specifically on university campuses. The media pointed to pro-rape student chants at St. Mary's University in Halifax, sexually violent signs held up by students at Brock University during orientation week, and recounted numerous stories of universities failing to adequately support survivors.

This conference is responding to a Canada-wide campus crisis - universities in Canada are hot-beds for sexual violence, occurring both on- and off-campus. University administrators, anti-violence workers, community partners, academics, and students are working to address this problem and Ontario, in particular, has seen a rise in university institutions responding to this crisis in more innovative ways. From adding dedicated sexual assault centres to bringing in new first year prevention programming, it is clear that the timing is right to consider institutional models that support prevention, which prevention programs to invest in and how to develop ongoing relationships to support ongoing prevention and dialogue.

What is also clear is that work is not over. Everyone needs to continue to work towards preventing sexual violence on campus and ending the tyranny of rape culture. This conference is one event, among the many needed, that aims to build a future free of sexual violence.