Tell the Nova Scotia Government to Preserve Funding for Postsecondary Sexual Violence Prevention and Education
We know that many students, parents, and community members are deeply concerned about the recent misogynistic messages displayed during St. Francis Xavier University’s homecoming. Actions like this are unacceptable and demonstrate the need for dedicated resources to help drive culture change and prevent gender-based and sexualized violence across Nova Scotia postsecondary campuses.
Since 2019, the province has provided dedicated annual funding to support postsecondary sexual violence prevention. This funding has enabled the development of a Provincial Sexual Violence Prevention and Education Committee, the hiring of a Provincial Sexual Violence Prevention Education Coordinator and student educators on each campus, and a wide range of campus-specific initiatives and programs.
While much progress has been made, there is still much more to do.
However, this funding is set to sunset at the end of the current fiscal year and the government has not shared plans for renewal. Cutting this funding will mean fewer resources to educate students, support survivors and build communities of consent across Nova Scotia.
That’s why we need your help. The government needs to hear from Nova Scotians about why this matters, and why funding postsecondary sexual violence prevention is a non-negotiable.
Letter Writing Initiative
If you are a current student, graduate, or simply a Nova Scotian who cares about funding sexualized and gender-based violence prevention work across campuses, we want your voice to be heard. StudentsNS has shared a letter with Premier Houston and Minister Brian Wong highlighting our concerns, and with a few easy steps you can do the same. (See our template letter here!)
There are a few ways you can get involved:
Customize and send a letter to Premier Tim Houston. Be sure to fill in the gaps at the beginning of the email and the sign off at the end.
Customize and send a letter to the Honourable Brian Wong (Minister of Advanced Education). Be sure to fill in the gaps at the beginning of the email and the sign off at the end.
Contact your local MLA! Find your local MLA here, their contact info here and download a copy of the general template here.