Thank you so much, Mr. Chair.
Thank you so much for having me here today. My name is Holly Foxall, and my pronouns are she/her. Today I am joining you from Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq people.
I'm the program director of Action Now Atlantic, which is an initiative and campaign to end sexual and gender-based violence at universities in Atlantic Canada through education, advocacy and community engagement. We've been fortunate enough to receive funding through Women and Gender Equality Canada to launch this project.
Our mission is to promote a culture of consent on campus through virtual workshops, the development of educational material and resources, and our own youth advocacy network. A big part of our work is connecting and collaborating with other organizations and individuals and taking a cross-provincial approach to addressing the issue of sexual violence on campus in Atlantic Canada.
The inspiration for Action Now Atlantic grew out of my personal frustrations around my own experiences and the experiences of my friends and peers while attending post-secondary education. I completed my undergraduate degree at Queen's University. I remember feeling a culture, both on and off campus, where sexual violence was normalized and many people didn't understand or respect consent. When I graduated and moved home to Nova Scotia, I remember seeing news stories about similar campus cultures and attitudes here. I read of many instances of sexual violence on campus where universities mishandled the cases and caused even greater harm to survivors.
Unfortunately, sexual violence is still a prevalent issue within post-secondary communities. We know that one in four women experiences sexual assault while attending a post-secondary institution, and 71% of Canadian post-secondary students have witnessed or experienced unwanted sexualized behaviour during their time at post-secondary institutions.
The first semester of university is meant to be an exciting time for students returning to school, but it's a notable time when it comes to sexual violence on campus. The first eight weeks of each fall semester are referred to as the “red zone”, when 50% of all sexual assaults on campus will occur. This is a time of increased vulnerability on campus, when there are many new students who are often away from home for the first time and without their usual support systems. It's critical that information around sexual violence and the laws relating to intoxication and assault are understood correctly by all members of our society, but especially those who may be engaging in sexual activity, drugs and alcohol.
When the news of the Supreme Court ruling on extreme intoxication was announced, there was serious concern about what the ruling would mean for campus communities and all survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. In our society, intoxication is often used as an excuse for those who cause harm, and a way to delegitimize survivors who do come forward.
I, along with so many Canadians, had many initial questions about this ruling. Would it provide more protection for those who sexually assault people and create even greater barriers for survivors to come forward? Would the ruling impact the ability and willingness of survivors to report cases of sexual violence? Do people who cause harm know that drunkenness alone is not a defence in sexual assault cases?
While the initial ruling got a lot of press, Bill C-28 and what it actually means received far less interest or time in the media. How people understand laws can greatly impact behaviours and cultures within our communities, so it's essential to have clear and easy-to-interpret information around these laws. This will build greater trust in our government and legal institutions.
I'm not a legal expert, so I will not try to comment on the technicalities of the initial Supreme Court ruling and Bill C-28 and what it means from a legal perspective, but I do hope to bring a youth perspective to this conversation. I can share why many survivors don't trust legal institutions and why rates of reporting sexual violence are so low, as well as what the initial reaction was within campus communities to this ruling and how it may impact campus cultures even with the implementation of Bill C-28.
I am someone who cares deeply about the safety and well-being of young people, and especially survivors of sexual violence. Anything that has the potential to create opportunity for people to cause harm and to build further barriers for survivors is something that we need to think critically about. How our legal institutions and governments share this information with the general public is important for community safety and overall trust within our institutions.
Thank you for your time.