At the YWCA, we have developed a useful tool that you can use to better assess your efforts to combat sexual violence. In addition to examples of best practices, we also prepared two documents to help you better understand the legal requirements that apply to higher-education institutions.
The first document is a two-page questionnaire that makes it easy to quickly and effectively assess the sexual violence policy and practices you currently have in place. The second document is a detailed, comprehensive guide packed with examples and insights, designed to enhance your efforts to raise awareness, and to prevent and address sexual violence.
An interactive self-assessment tool
Begin your self-assessment with a questionnaire that goes straight to the point. All you have to do is answer a few simple questions to find out if your institution’s current policy and practices comply with the Act to prevent and fight sexual violence in higher education institutions (P-22.1).
The questionnaire avoids legal jargon and organises information in a clear and accessible way in order to give you an overall understanding of the Act and of the steps you need to take to ensure compliance. It is divided into six sections that outline not only the legal requirements to be met, but also the YWCA’s recommendations on efforts and strategies to prevent and fight sexual violence.
Self-assessment companion guide
To make sure you cover everything in your self-assessment, we’re providing a 23-page companion guide that discusses each of the six assessment categories in greater detail. The document will help you explore ways to implement ethical, safe, and sensitive measures to combat sexual violence.
In addition to providing an overview of the Act, the companion guide includes inspiring practices, tips for training and awareness-raising, and detailed concepts to deepen understanding of judicial processes, authority relationships, security measures, and much more.
In formulating the recommendations presented in the guide, the YWCA drew on documentation from the Government of Quebec, a compilation of best practices for preventing sexual violence, statistical data, and insights from CEGEP-based sexual violence responders.
If you want to learn more, you can refer to the list of resources at the back of the guide to quickly access the references cited in the document.
The YWCA Montreal
The YWCA Montreal has developed various tools over the years to support gender-based violence prevention workers. This resource is part of the Violence Free project and was made available through funding provided by Women and Gender Equality Canada.
