International Women’s Week packs a solid line-up - Fifty Shades of NO

Nipissing’s department of Gender Equality of Social Justice (GESJ) is celebrating International Women’s Week (IWW) 2015 with a series of events, March 4-10, organized around the theme Fifty Shades of NO: Cultures of Sexual Violence.
Wednesday, March 4, featuresSex, Consent and Understanding the Legal Process, with Paul Larsh, crown attorney; Jenna Roberts, sexual assault nurse examiner; Shawn Devine, deputy chief of police and Meghan Trussler, Amelia Rising Sexual Assault Centre of Nipissing. Dr. Sal Renshaw, department of gender equality and social justice will serve as moderator.   The discussion takes places from 2 – 4 p.m. in room R309.

The discussion keeps going on Thursday, March 5, with a lecture examining the ways in which the law does and does not regulate sexuality and consent titledRegulating Consent: Ghomeshi and Beyond, led by keynote speaker, professor Brenda Cossman, from the faculty of Law at the University of Toronto. The lecture takes place from 2 – 3 p.m. in the Nipissing Theatre (F213).

Friday, March 6, moves to the Lakeshore/Main Street Overpass for the community eventJoin Me on the Bridge.  Women from around the world will stand together to promote peace and women’s equality.  Participants will gather at the Holy Name Church (146 Beth Avenue) 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, March 7, featuresCampus Cultures of Sexual Violence, a lecture led by Trina Prince, Nipissing alumna and former vice-president of Student Life for the Nipissing University Student Union.  The lecture runs from 3 – 5 p.m. in room B201.

IWW 2015 wraps up on Tuesday, March 10, with Amelia Rising’s annual showcase of local women’s talentsEVE-olution at Chippewa Secondary School from 7 – 9 p.m.  Admittance is $5 or a donation of a non-perishable food item.

Rosemary Nagy, associate professor and chair Gender Equality & Social Justice (GESC) says that the selection of this important topic comes from stories that have made headlines this year such as Jian Ghomeshi’s arrest, controversies at Canadian universities and Nipissing’s recent commitment to establish a sexual violence policy.

“The goal of this year’s IWW is to open up a dialogue about acts and cultures of sexual violence in society, the community and on campus,” says Nagy.  “With this event we aim to increase awareness, particularly about what constitutes consent and what does not, as well as explain the reporting and the health and legal processes when sexual violence occurs.”

All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.