#cHOOSETOSEE: LEARN, KNOW, CHANGE THE FUTURE

Sexual violence remains one of the most pervasive and yet unaddressed social problems in our province, country, and globe. Saskatchewan has long-held the shame of having the highest provincial rate of interpersonal and sexualized violence in Canada. Despite its prevalence, sexual violence continues to lurk in the shadows of societal discourse - survivors are silenced by shame and blame, victims exist as witnesses and their backgrounds as evidence in the eyes of the law, and many not personally impacted continue to think of sexual violence as a ‘private’ and ‘personal’ issue, not the mass societal and cultural issue it is. Stigma, discomfort, and the social onus put on survivors to ‘get over it’ has serious and socially rippling harms, for generations.

Worse yet, blows to education in our province have pushed progress back: September 2025 will mark 2 years since the Saskatchewan Government’s Parental Bill of Rights put immense barriers in place for gender and sexually diverse young people, and subsequently banned third-party educators from classrooms indefinitely, including Sexual Assault Centres, who were delivering age-appropriate and curriculum approved education on the topics of sexual abuse, child abuse, personal safety, healthy relationships, consent, and how to disrupt the culture of normalizing violence - all of which are relevant and of serious importance for young people at every stage of their education and upbringing. 

The consequences of not having this education in schools is serious: When children do not learn that child abuse is a reality and what it can look like, they are vulnerable to harm and the normalization of violence. When young people begin exploring relationships in their formative years without any knowledge of consent, harm happens, without acknowledgement or repair.

It doesn’t have to be this way. We can choose to see the realities of violence. We can choose to learn about these topics to increase our empathy and prevent further harm. We can choose to know more about the facts and systemic barriers preventing people from receiving justice. We can choose to do better, for our future, and the future of the next generation. 

If you would like to have your voice heard through this campaign, here are some ways you can get involved: 

• Letter to Saskatchewan MLAs: Use this link to access our letter campaign regarding the harm of Bill 137 (Parental Bill of Rights) and its subsequent consequences of banning third-party violence prevention and sexual health educators from classrooms, with our collective call to action being the repeal of this Bill. Please input your information in the designated areas of the written letter, and the platform will automatically embed your regional Saskatchewan MLA as the recipient of the letter. In solidarity, the more we are, the stronger we are.
• No Walkin’ Back Now: Join us on Wednesday, May 14 from 7:00pm-8:00pm for our No Walkin’ Back Now event—a free, community-led walk through downtown Regina, in partnership with the YWCA Regina. We will be walking side-by-side through the city’s downtown bar and restaurant district to reclaim spaces where women and gender-diverse folks have historically felt unsafe. Along the walking route, you'll experience a living timeline gallery, documenting a glimpse into the history of gender-based violence, using real stories and facts to illustrate how this issue has been represented (and misrepresented) in Canada, through legal and social milestones, progress, and setbacks. This gallery is a reminder to all that we will not walk back in time. We will proudly walk forward and continue to take action for the rights of women and gender-diverse folks to feel safe in all spaces. For more information, please click here to view the event page. Registration is not required to attend, but it is appreciated for our preparation.
• "Your Wishes For Sexual Violence Education in Saskatchewan" Survey: We encourage you to complete our anonymous survey to share with us what you wish you'd learned in school and what you wish Saskatchewan students were learning today about sexualized violence. Your responses will be used anonymously as quotes to raise awareness about the needs of Saskatchewan people of all ages. You can complete the survey by clicking HERE.
• Share Your Stance on Social Media: You can support RSAC and our joint #ChooseToSee campaign with the Saskatoon and Area Sexual Assault Centre and Battlefords and Area Sexual Assault Centre by following us on social media @RSACsupport, sharing our posts throughout the month, and tagging us in any posts of your own related to spreading awareness and acknowledgment of Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.