A group of over 200 students held a rally at the University of British Columbia Oct. 30, protesting the university’s response to a recent pattern of sexual assaults on the Vancouver campus.
The “Take Back the Night” rally came after a list of recommendations by the school, which many believe does not properly address issues of rape culture prevalent at the school.
After the RCMP became involved in investigating the string of assaults, the university issued safety whistles to students and kept the campus up-to-date with the investigation.
“Don’t walk alone at night, watch out for each other,” the university wrote on its website. It also recommends students use the Safewalk program, run by the school’s student union the Alma Matter Society (AMS), as well as TransLink shuttles, or other campus security services.
The AMS’ Safewalk program has become a popular safety measure for students, with over 50 calls a night for rides or escorts, according to the society.
“Trust your instincts. If you feel in danger, or witness suspicious activity, call 911 immediately,” UBC stated on its website.
The Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter published an open letter to UBC in response to its recommendations, urging the school to view sexual assault as an issue concerning women’s equality, and not just as a safety problem.
The letter included nine ways to help reduce rape on campus, such as sanctioning men who commit or encourage sexual assault, and “men who witness or are aware that other men are committing sexual assault and allow it.”
The shelter also recommended UBC provides mandatory anti-rape lessons to all students.
“Teaching young men not to rape is probably the most valuable education a university can offer to its students,” the letter stated.
The university should “use the advantage they have as an educational institution, beyond teaching science and math, [to teach] respectful treatment of women,” Hilla Kerner, a representative of the Shelter, said.
Kerner said rape culture at the university needs to be understood as a “social phenomenon . . . not just an isolated situation.”
While Kerner said she appreciated the safety measures taken by UBC, she felt the university could be taking a different approach to the situation.
The real problem is the men who committed these actions, and the people who turn a blind eye to sexual assault, rather than the women who are subject to it, according to Kerner.
“[The rally] was definitely encouraging . . . to see women refusing to accept the situation,” she said.
After an orientation week chant promoting rape and sexual violence during the school’s Commerce Undergraduate Society orientation, the university started facilitating sexual assault prevention workshops, stepping them up after recent events.
There have been six reported sexual assaults on the UBC campus in the past several months which may be connected, according to RCMP.
RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Peter Thiessen said the RCMP was aware of the assaults in April 2013, but the possible connection between the incidents did not become apparent until another happened in September, and three more in October.
He said the possible connection is based on the description of the attacker and timing of the assaults.
Thiessen, like the university, said women should “take steps to ensure their safety,” including avoiding walking home after dark and seeking others to walk with.
But Kerner said the situation is not that easily remedied.
She said steps must be taken to talk to men about sexism, and drawing the line of consent.
“Unless you have an enthusiastic yes, take it as a no,” Kerner said.
