Learn more about the University of Waterloo Sexual Violence Task Force
In March 2015, Ontario launched the It’s Never Okay: An Action Plan to Stop Sexual Violence and Harassment which includes concrete actions to be taken at the provincial level to help change attitudes, provide better support for survivors and make workplaces and campuses safer and more responsive to complaints of sexual violence and harassment.
Three actions that were taken at Waterloo:
- A stand-alone sexual violence policy was implemented at all publicly funded universities and colleges, to address sexual violence caused by students. At the University of Waterloo, this is Policy 42 – Prevention of, and Response to, Sexual Violence
- Creation of the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office
- Establishment of the Sexual Violence Task Force
In 2019, the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) mandated that each Ontario post-secondary institution implement a Sexual Violence Task Force for the 2019-2020 academic year. Task Forces were required to provide feedback regarding recommendations on the additional steps that our institutions may take to ensure a safe environment for all, and to evaluate both the sufficiency of University sexual violence policies as well as the effectiveness of current programs and services provided to address sexual violence on campus.
Our campus had already established a Sexual Violence Prevention Working Group focused on educational efforts on campus, and the existing committee was supportive of re-adjusting the goals of the committee to reflect the requirements of the MCU.
As the Ministry requirements have been met (please refer to the 2021 annual report), the Task Force has been paused until such time that it is needed again.
We are now re-focusing on ways to engage our campus community in proactive, preventative activities and awareness raising.
It takes all of us to create change; visit our Events page for current opportunities to stay connected and get involved!