The Notley government’s decision to declare May Sexual Violence Awareness Month is a great step for this province.
Aimed at promoting safety and security, the declaration has been made following consultations with many stakeholder groups and organizations over many months.
The declaration will hopefully lead to concrete improvements in awareness and a resulting overall reduction in sexual violence.
For her part, Premier Notley rightly says that countering sexual violence is in the best interest of individual Albertans and the community at large.
“Every Albertan deserves to live free from sexual harassment and assault,” said Notley. “Sexualized violence is a crime of power and control, and governments have a duty to lead, to offer hope and healing to survivors, to make workplaces and campuses safe and to tackle the inequality at the root of this violence that most impacts women and girls.”
As well as declaring May Sexual Violence Awareness Month, the province is also launching a new Commitment to End Sexual Violence initiative.
That undertaking has three principal elements: improve the way Alberta’s social, health, justice and education systems respond to sexual violence; shift the culture towards believing survivors, challenging harmful myths and building a culture of consent; and supporting individuals by funding front-line services for survivors and delivering education and prevention programs.
Debra Tomlinson, chief executive director with the Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services, called both the declaration and the new imitative welcome news.
“We are pleased to be a partner in the government’s commitment to prevent sexual violence and provide better support to those who are affected,” said Tomlinson.
“Sexual violence is a problem that affects all communities in our province and will require a united effort by government, community organizations and individuals to eliminate.”
These latest efforts aimed at countering sexual violence in Alberta should be applauded.
At the same time, MLAs and MPs must work diligently to ensure the justice system has the resources it needs to make sex offenders pay for their crimes.
Dan Singleton is the Mountain View Gazette editor.
