Jessie Sunner, Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, and Jennifer Blatherwick, parliamentary secretary for gender equity, have released the following statement in recognition of Consent Awareness Week 2025:

“Today marks the start of Consent Awareness Week 2025, a meaningful opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to creating safe, respectful and inclusive environments across B.C.’s post-secondary institutions.

“Sexual violence is unacceptable. Everyone deserves to feel safe and respected where they learn and work. B.C. continues to lead nationally in supporting efforts to prevent and respond to sexual violence in the post-secondary sector. Public post-secondary institutions are legally required to have sexual violence policies in place and to review them regularly.

“We’re working closely with the sector to strengthen their ability to address sexual violence in post-secondary communities. In 2024, the Province partnered with public post-secondary institutions to launch new resources, including open-access training that addresses the impacts of sexual violence on Indigenous, graduate and international students, as well as training focused on technology-facilitated sexual violence. To support transparency and accountability, the Province has also released a toolkit for data and reporting to help institutions improve annual reporting on sexual violence. These resources help advance the ongoing work under Safe and Supported: B.C.’s gender-based violence action plan.

“As students return to classes this fall, we recognize the ongoing efforts of post-secondary institutions. Many are launching new training programs, marking Consent Awareness Week and running awareness campaigns focused on consent and sexual violence prevention. We encourage everyone to take part in meaningful conversations and actions that promote consent and support safer campuses for all.

“We know there’s more to do, and our government remains committed to advancing this important work. Consent Awareness Week is a reminder that consent must always be respected and that each of us plays a role in building a culture of safety, respect and inclusion.”

Learn More:

To access the open-access training resources, visit: https://bccampus.ca/projects/sexualized-violence-resources/

To read the toolkit for data and reporting, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/home/featured-services/safe-campuses-bc/10117_sexualized_violence_prevention_toolkit_web.pdf