BC Students re-launch No Means No campaign to end rape on campus

VANCOUVER, Oct. 16, 2013 /CNW/ - BC students' unions across the province have coordinated a re-launch of No Means No, a campaign to end rape on campus.

"Women continue to face disproportionately high levels of sexualized and gender-based violence on our campuses and in our communities," explained Madeline Keller-MacLeod, Women Students' Liaison of the Canadian Federation of Students-BC. "Given the recent instances of pro-rape chants at the University of British Columbia and Saint Mary's University, more students are now challenging rape culture on campus via this campaign."

Gender-based violence is the most widespread and persistent human rights violation in the world. In Canada, more than 50% of women will experience violence at some point in their lives, most before the age of 25. In a given year more than one in ten Canadian women suffer physical abuse at the hands of their partners. On campus, 25% of women undergraduate students experience some form of sexual abuse.

"Many students' unions have been successful at changing campus culture to be one that is about promoting consent and confronting sexism on campus," added Katie Marocchi, Chairperson of CFS-BC. "The campaign aims to raise awareness about gender-based violence and to inform men that they are responsible for not being perpetrators of sexualized violence in their community and how they too can take an active stance against rape."

The No Means No campaign, a cross-Canada, national project of the Canadian Federation of Students since 1992, is intended to combat fundamental misconceptions about sexualized violence.

The Canadian Federation of Students-BC is composed of post-secondary students from 15 universities and colleges in every region in BC. Post-secondary students in Canada have been represented by the Canadian Federation of Students and its predecessor organizations since 1927.

SOURCE: Canadian Federation of Students - British Columbia

Katie Marocchi, Chairperson: [phone]
Madeline Keller-MacLeod, Women Students' Liaison [phone]