Status of Women committee  Things would change if the funding became stable and predictable. Actually, if the office staff didn't have to spend two or three months a year completing funding applications, they could spend more time on the ground. The other point is that various programs, including the Sexual Violence and Harassment Action Plan recently adopted by the Government of Ontario, often ask non-profit organizations and women's organizations to include people from immigrant communities, but there is no additional funding for that service.

Status of Women committee  That's what I would suggest. As Maïra and Julie have said, there are experts. There are people who have been doing this violence against women work for many years. They are wells of knowledge that need to be supported, that need to be funded, and they want to do that work with the students and the campuses.

Status of Women committee  I am familiar, but it's not led by METRAC.

Status of Women committee  From what we've been able to see on campuses, especially around the time of the Jian Ghomeshi trial, which was when that campaign picked up, it is very important because it is very survivor-centric and survivor-driven. It is a group of people who have experienced sexual violence standing up for their fellow women or people who have experienced sexual violence who may not feel comfortable coming forward, or those who have been living with that secret for a long time.

Status of Women committee  I'm not sure what the federal government's jurisdiction is, but I think it comes when we work with communities. It starts from the local level and then it fans out. Students and activists and also community groups are already doing some of that work. How can the work that is happening be supported by the federal government?

Status of Women committee  Thank you, everyone, for inviting METRAC to speak on issues of campus safety. We know that post-secondary education campuses across the country are profoundly unsafe spaces for women of all backgrounds and gender-nonconforming folks. North American research suggests that between 15% and 25% of college- and university-aged women will experience some form of sexual assault during their academic career.