December 2017- a legal breakthrough in the field of sexual violence prevention in Quebec
In December 2017, Quebec passed Act P-22.1, An Act to prevent and fight sexual violence in higher education institutions. To help higher education meet the requirements of this law, and implement a sexual violence policy if they did not already have one, the Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur (MES) created and published three resources (only available in French): le Rapport de mise en œuvre de la Loi, le Guide d’accompagnement and le Bilan de la reddition de compte de l’exercice 2021 – 2022.
With its focus on awareness, prevention, and support for survivors, the law aims to not only reduce sexual violence in Cégeps, universities, and other higher education institutions, but also to “help foster a healthy and safe living environment for students and personnel members” [Act P-22.1, L.Q. 2017, c. 1, art. 1].
Act P-22.1 – Introduction of the law
Act P-22.1 defines sexual violence as “any form of violence committed through sexual practices or by targeting sexuality, including sexual assault” [Act P-22.1, L.Q. 2017, c. 1, art. 1]. The Act also includes misconduct based on sexual and gender diversity, as well as “unwanted direct or indirect gestures, comments, behaviours or attitudes with sexual connotations, including by a technological means” in its definition [Act P-22.1, L.Q. 2017, c. 1, art. 1].
Act P-22.1 Implementation Report – Le rapport de mise en œuvre de la Loi
This report describes the essential elements of the Act as well as different ideas on how to incorporate them into the higher education institution’s sexual violence policy. These elements, such as security measures, obligatory training, a procedure for filing complaints, psychosocial services, support services, and a code of conduct [Loi P-22.1, L.Q. 2017, c. 2, art. 3], were designed to tackle sexual violence from several angles. As such, the report aims to amplify and improve the institution’s sexual violence policy by making it an effective part of the organisational culture in higher education institutions.
To support the institutions, the MES set up a three-stage action plan that consists of:
- Prevention
- Survivor support
- Survivor support development
Act P-22.1 Support Guide – Le guide d’accompagnement
This guidebook lists the 15 necessary components to include in a sexual violence prevention policy. In addition, the guidebook also provides a framework for addressing relationships, and related power dynamics, between students and professors in higher education institutions.
Act P-22.1 2021-2022 Assessment Infographic – Infographie du bilan de reddition de compte – Exercice 2021-2022
Related to article 12 of Act P-22.1, the MES analyzed each higher education institution’s annual report on sexual violence prevention and produced a diagram. This document summarizes the data on policy accessibility, standing committees, security, incident reporting, complaints, code of conduct, awareness raising, and training.
Organization: Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur
The Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur is Quebec’s governing body for matters relating to higher education. With its projects and Acts, as well as a vision that incorporates success, excellence, and access, the MES supports both the student communities and the educational institutions across the province. The MES drafted Bill 151 in an effort to curb sexual violence on campuses. After the bill had passed, the MES was responsible for ensuring the implementation of the law and its adherence. The Ministère also offers support for higher education institutions seeking further information regarding sexual violence prevention.
