Blog

  • Posted October 4, 2013

Are You Kidding Me?

You know rape culture really has a hold when men are groping female robots because they are “attractive”. A female robot used as a tour guide for the Jinzhou world garden art expo in Jinzhou, Liaoning province, northeast China is being taken out of action after being groped and fondled by “over-zealous” tourists. Next year […]
  • Posted September 27, 2013

Are You Kidding Me?

What is education in Canada coming to? Teachers in Victoria are at risk of losing their contracts – and their seniority – if they happen to be pregnant.  Whether or not this is actually legal, it’s a proposal the Greater Victoria School District is considering “to avoid classroom disruption.” Uh, how about avoiding glaring injustice […]
  • Posted September 27, 2013

A New School Year at VCC, and a New Commitment to Anti-Violence Work

Oh, the back-to-school season! Leaves are coming down, textbooks are being cracked, and Vancouver Community College is preparing to take action on gendered violence under WAVAW’s leadership!  WAVAW’s C.A.R.E. (Campus Allied Response Effort) About Gendered Violence project at VCC aims to get students, instructors and staff members learning about the root causes of violence and […]
  • Posted September 18, 2013

Our Work

Another year has passed and WAVAW’s 30th year as the only sexual assault centre in Vancouver has proven to be full of successes, challenges and growth.  We invite you to learn more about WAVAW’s work by reading our interactive 2012-2013 Annual Report!
  • Posted September 13, 2013

Are You Kidding Me?

The sexualization of elementary school kids is horrifying enough – now clothing manufacturers are targeting actual, honest-to-goodness infants.  What the what! These kids aren’t old enough to talk, walk, or be potty-trained, but apparently they are old enough to have their genitals publically commented on and tied to their gendered self-image in profoundly damaging ways.  You can sign an online petition to […]
  • Posted August 30, 2013

Are You Kidding Me?

There’s such a thing as a camel-toe guard (a.k.a. The Cuchini)? Oh dear dear dear. WAVAW is appalled (but not surprised) by this round-up of six ridiculous products designed to make women’s bodies less “gross.” Some of us here love shaving our legs and applying nail polish–because it makes us feel good about ourselves and […]
  • Posted August 23, 2013

Are You Kidding Me?

In the face of jaw-droppingly awful, fatphobic advertisements like this billboard, it’s inspiring to see folks challenging the culture of hatred surrounding the diversity of human body shapes and sizes. Some examples that have come to our attention lately: Lindy West over at Jezebel calls for solidarity against body-shaming among women of all sizes–and offers […]
  • Posted August 16, 2013

Are You Kidding Me?

[Trigger warning: rampant misogyny, entitlement, and sexist epithets in the link below…] You know what government most urgently needs to fund, according to this blogger dude?  Not rape crisis centres or education or health care or housing or child care. Nope! As public services and the social safety net unravel around us, what we really […]
  • Posted August 16, 2013

Female Representation in Comic Books

Guest post by Jaden Patriarchal representations of women in comic books have not been positive from a woman’s point of view. Here are five points that I think needs to be examined and improved in the comic book industry. 1) Women’s Bodies Don’t Work That Way/Defy the Laws of Physics: It is common knowledge that […]