Consent Archives | Dalhousie Gazette

The results of a recent survey from the Canadian Women’s Foundation suggest most Canadians don’t fully understand consent. The survey presented people with various scenarios, asking if they were consensual, “just so that we knew whether Canadians understood the situations under which people can and cannot give consent,” said Anu Dugal. She’s the director of community initiatives and…

It always strikes me as odd when I realize we always tell women it’s okay to say no to sex, but very rarely do we say it’s okay to say yes. Don’t get me wrong: anybody has the right say no anytime – I’m not debating that. In my view, consent is the most important thing…

Recently, I visited an old Navy friend who’s now at the University of Toronto studying law. We sat around and talked about the issues of the day, namely a cab driver named Bassam Al-Rawi who had been acquitted of sexual assault. He explained to me, patiently and simply, that our laws say a person can…

Dalhousie’s fall term is beginning. As students fill up the residences, classrooms and streets of University Avenue, it’s important to have up-front conversations about safe sex and consent. Put clearly: sex without consent is rape. And while the slogan “No Means No!” means well and makes sense, it is vital to remember that rape…

Frosh Week. I can almost still conjure that heavy smell of potential and fear, with a hint of cheap alcohol, that inhabits campus in that first week. Hopefully you meet some of the people you will spend the next four years with, get to know the city a bit and finally be able to party…

“96 per cent [of Canadians] agreed consent was important and you had to have it, but only 2/3 understood what it meant,” says Anuradha Dugal, director of violence prevention at the Canadian Women’s Foundation, while explaining the organization’s new campaign. Although consent is one of the most important aspects of any relationship, it’s still a…

We need to reframe consent campaigns to understand that only yes means yes. (Photo by Jasspreet Sahib)

After being inspired by NSCAD’s similar campaign last year, the University of King’s College held it’s first-ever ‘consent week’ from Feb. 10 to 14 this year. This was likely not the only reason the King’s Student Union (KSU) decided to dedicate a week to the topic, as debate over what consent means has been rampant…

Saint Mary’s University is committed to serious cultural change following the release of a new report, says university president Colin Dodds. The 110-page document, “Promoting a Culture of Safety, Respect and Consent at Saint Mary’s University and Beyond,” was made in response to an orientation week event in September where freshmen were led by frosh…

Among the many “positivity” movements to have sprung up lately, sex positivity is one of my favourites. For one, it goes hand in hand with body positivity: the happier a person is with their body, the more sex they’ll probably want to have. This can work the other way around, too—have lots of fulfilling sex,…

that three letter word tackles bondage (photo by Mel Hattie)

If you’re unfamiliar with the term, bondage refers to the practice of restraining someone or being restrained for sexual gratification. The means vary, but the end remains the same: dominating or being dominated by your partner. This is an activity that should be practiced with someone you fully trust, and (of course) only if you’re…