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Bill 18, Consent Awareness Week Act, 2022

Wong-Tam, Kristyn

Andrew, Jill

Lindo, Laura Mae

Stiles, Marit

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Status

Debates

Original

Bill 18 Original (PDF)

EXPLANATORY

NOTE

The

Bill proclaims the week beginning on the third Monday in September in each year

as Consent Awareness Week.

Bill 18 2022

Act to proclaim Consent Awareness Week

Preamble

Recent

events in Ontario have led to a heightened awareness of the urgent need to

address sexual violence and consent. These events include allegations against members

of a hockey team for committing group sexual assault, high-profile sexual

assault cases in the media and student walkouts in response to sexual assaults

on post-secondary campuses.

Understanding

consent requires awareness, action and accountability. Only 28 per cent of

Canadians fully understand the meaning of consent. Furthermore, social

location, including race, ability, gender, sexuality and class, shapes how

individuals, groups and communities provide consent and receive consent.

The

effects of not understanding consent are far reaching and include sexual

harassment and sexual assault. Each year, there are approximately 636,000 cases

of self-reported sexual assault in Canada. Of this number, 41 per cent were

self-reported by students at post-secondary institutions.

The

need for consent education effects all genders. In Canada, 15 per cent of girls

and women and 9 per cent of boys and men between the ages of 14 and 21 identified

as having had a sexual act forced upon them by a peer.

Ontario

will be the first jurisdiction in Canada to recognize and adopt Consent

Awareness Week. The week invites Ontarians to have thoughtful, affirming,

intersectional and age-appropriate conversations about consent. The week is an

opportunity to reflect on, champion and celebrate consent as a cornerstone for

all types of relationships, not just intimate ones. The week is also an

opportunity to explore valuable life skills related to consent including how to

respond to rejection, articulate boundaries, respect bodily autonomy and

actively listen to others.

Consent

Awareness Week will be held during the third week of September in each year. This

week was chosen to recognize, and raise awareness of, the increase in sexual

violence across post-secondary campuses during the first six weeks of a new

academic year. The week will function as an annual reminder that Ontarians have

the right to be respected and safe where they live, work, study and play.

Therefore,

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of

the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Consent

Awareness Week

The

week beginning on the third Monday in September in each year is proclaimed as

Consent Awareness Week.

Commencement

This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short

title

The

short title of this Act is the Consent Awareness Week Act, 2022 .

Date Bill stage Event Outcome Committee

September 6, 2022

First Reading

Ordered for Second Reading

September 6, 2022

First Reading

Vote

Carried

First Reading

September 6, 2022

Carried

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