Nova Scotia funds consent education for young men

It is a sea change in governmental response to sexualassault: Nova Scotia is funding new programs to teach young menabout consent and "positive masculinity," in a bid to address thecauses of sexual violence rather than just its aftermath.

• Sexual assault prevention grant program yields over 100 applicants
• Sexualized violence strategy for Nova Scotia to cost $6M

"Our youth, male and female both, felt there was a need toeducate young boys," Juliana Julian, health director of PaqtnkekMi'kmaq Nation, said Monday.

"We were talking about consentbutwe were missing half of population."

Community Services Minister Joanne Bernard announced two projectsaimed at aboriginal boys and men worth about $50,000 in Truro onMonday, with $150,000 going to Mi'kmaq organizations overall.

Targetingsocietal causes of sexual violence

Last week, the Valley African Nova Scotian DevelopmentAssociation received $29,000 for a project encouraging young men,especially those in the athletic community, to become leaders inspeaking out against sexual violence.

Sarah Granke, who is coordinating the province's $1.2-millionsexual violence prevention strategy, said the programs announcedMonday target the societal causes of sexual violence.

"We need to be looking not at only how it affect women andgirls, but how it affects everybody," said Granke.

"Gender rolesand stereotypes are definitely a factor in this. It's a genderedissue."

Inspired by RehtaehParsons story

Nova Scotia's strategy is in part a response to the 2013 death ofRehtaeh Parsons, who was taken off life-support after attemptingsuicide. Her case attracted national attention when her familyalleged she had been sexually assaulted and then repeatedly bulliedonline after a digital photo of the alleged assault was shared amongstudents at school.

The initiative also follows the Bill Cosby and Jian Ghomeshiscandals, which sparked a conversation across North America aboutconsent and sexual violence.

Granke said the funding announced Monday comes in response toapplications from grassroots groups, and other projects in othercommunities will be announced later.

The Paqtnkek Mi'kmaq Nation in Antigonish will receive $46,000 towork with boys in Grades 7 and 8 to explore consent, healthyrelationships and masculinity. The program is intended to be acounterpart to a similar one at the Antigonish Women's Health Centrethat has been around for at least a decade.

Preventing future sexual violence

The Mawio'miokuom society of Membertou was granted $5,000 foranother program targeted at male youth.

"(It's) not about placing the onus on someone else to keepthemselves safe but how we prevent it from happening in the firstplace," Granke said.

Jackie Stevens, director of Halifax's Avalon Sexual AssaultCentre, said on Monday there are already groups, like the WhiteRibbon Foundation and Wise Guyz, that are organized by men seekingto end male sexual assault against women. Educators at Prince AndrewHigh School in Dartmouth, N.S., have also created "guys-only"discussion groups tackling issues of masculinity.

Stevens hopes these programs will not only deter sexual violence,but also encourage male victims to come forward.