Blog

Clarification on Trigger Warnings

Trigger warnings (TWs) are everywhere online these days, especially related to feminist topics and anti-violence articles, so we wanted to offer some clarification:   Being triggered means not being in control of your sympathetic nervous system. Not being able to connect with the present moment because you’re having a flood of trauma memories.   Having […]

Dear Men: I am Terrified of You (But You Can Change That)

Post by Rebecca Tucker, Relief/HOC Staff (CW: sexual assault, sexual harassment) When I was in elementary school, I learned that when a boy pushed me in line, or pulled my hair so hard my neck snapped back, it just meant that he liked me. When I was twelve, a male teacher commented on my “booty” […]

I’m angry and tired of rape culture on campus

Post by WAVAW Volunteer, Baylee This will be my fourth year attending the University of British Columbia. My fourth year of being told to walk in groups, to lock my dormitory windows and doors, to be home before dark. My fourth year of what should have been uninterrupted learning, personal growth, and memory making. Instead, […]

If the System Is Broken, Don’t Fix It? Judge Camp and the Status Quo

Post by Natti Schmid, WAVAW Office Manager Perpetrators must be held accountable for the violence they commit against women.  WAVAW Rape Crisis Centre was awarded intervener status to speak to the impacts that Judge Camp’s words and actions in the court room had on the public’s perception of the efficacy of the legal system.  WAVAW and […]

a double-edged survival

Guest Post by a WAVAW Volunteer   I carry with me a double-edged knife. I carry this knife close to me, in a hidden pocket. I keep my wallet there, reaching often. Outside I carry this knife close to me, brushing against soft, uneasy shoulders.   “Do I deserve friends?”  This knife I carry with […]

Pleasure & Sexuality in a Rape Culture

WAVAW collaborated with illustrator, Jane Komori, to create this comic about how we can all think about pleasure and sexuality in the context of a rape culture. It was originally shared by WAVAW Staff, Dalya Israel and Jordan Pickell, as a zine in our workshop at the 2016 Guelph Sexuality Conference.

An open letter to post-secondary leadership

It’s been an interesting spring.  On May 19, BC adopted legislation requiring post-secondary institutions to have sexual assault policies. The media is asking questions of Vancouver universities to find out what they are doing to challenge sexualized violence on campus. Earlier this week, the Vancouver Sun published an article about how SFU “fumbled” sexual assault reports. Yesterday, […]

Victims and Survivors of Crime Week

Post by WAVAW Staff, Patricia Four years ago, my friend was sexually assaulted while sleeping at my place. It was terrifying; sexual assault suddenly changed from a vaguely scary bogeyman in the dark to something horrifyingly personal and real. Every woman is taught from an unthinkably young age that it is our responsibility to not […]