Accessibility statement

Sexual Violence Awareness Week 2021

Posted on 29 January 2021

Get involved with events and activities to mark Sexual Violence Awareness Week.

Sexual Violence Awareness Week 2021

Sexual Violence Awareness Week takes place on 1-7 February. The University is hosting a series of online events, information sessions, talks and social media content to raise awareness, educate, inspire and encourage conversation around sexual violence and specialist support services.

We would like to encourage open conversation around this lesser talked about, sometimes taboo, but ever important topic.

Get involved

Light up the Night

As a launch to Sexual Violence Awareness Week, we would like to invite you to join us virtually to ‘Light up the Night’ on Monday 1 February from 5pm onwards. We will be lighting up Greg's Place in solidarity with those who have experienced sexual violence.

If you would like to virtually stand alongside us and raise a light, please take a photo of a light and post it on your social media with #ItsNotOkYORK.

Enter the ARTivism competition to win £100 Amazon voucher

Art can be a powerful way to spread important messages and raise awareness of challenging social issues. If you have an interest and passion for raising awareness of sexual violence (sexual harassment, sexual assault and intimate partner violence) and how we manage experiences of sexual harm (self-care, tackling victim blaming), then enter our ARTivism competition, hosted in collaboration with York St John University.

You can submit any form of art work, including (but not limited to): fine art, photography, theatre pieces, film, poetry, literature, dance, music, or anything else artistic! The theme is 'light' to go alongside our Light up the Night event. The winner will receive £100 of Amazon vouchers!

To enter ARTivism, take a photo of your art work and send it to svlo@york.ac.uk. The winner will be picked by the Sexual Violence Liaison Officers. All entries should be sent by Wednesday 31 March 2021.

Events

Monday 1 February

10am Artivism launch on Instagram
11am The Report and Support Series: Episode 1 Reporting to University with Mickey Hollman on Instagram
12-1pm Survivors UK: Supporting Male & Non-Binary Survivors: Listening to a Silenced Community 
3pm Survive Video: Myths and Stereotypes on Instagram
5pm onwards Light up the Night on Instagram

Tuesday 2 February

10am The Report and Support Series: Episode 2 Reporting anonymously to the Police with Jo Beilby on Instagram
10.30am-12pm Vanita Sundaram: Understanding Lad Culture
3pm The Report and Support Series: Episode 3 Reporting formally to the Police on Instagram
5-6pm The Last Taboo: SVAW at the Uni of York Panel

Wednesday 3 February

10am The Report and Support Series: Episode 4 University Support through your SVLOs on Instagram
11-11.30am Survive: Influencing, educating, signposting: could you be a Survive ambassador in your workplace? 
1.30-2.30pm Am I being fetishised?
3pm The Report and Support Series: Episode 5 University support with the Open Door Team on Instagram

Thursday 4 February

10am The Report and Support Series: Episode 6 External Support with York Women’s Centre on Instagram
11am-12pm Hilary Conroy: Disability and Sexual Violence
12.30pm The Report and Support Series: Episode 8 Bridge House on Instagram
2-3pm York Women’s Centre: Reframing Justice 
3pm The Report and Support Series: Episode 9 External Support with IDAS on Instagram
4-5pm MESMAC: Sexual Violence within LGBTQ+ Communities

Friday 5 February

9.30-10.30 Safer Lives- Creating Safer Communities Online
10am The Report and Support Series: Episode 10 External support with Survive on Instagram
11am-12pm Survivors UK: Supporting Male & Non-Binary Survivors: Listening to a Silenced Community
1-2pm Survive: Influencing, educating, signposting: could you be a Survive student ambassador at your university?

If you have any questions or would like to speak to anybody about the planned content or if you have ideas around setting up your own event to support the week, please get in touch with our Sexual Violence Liaison Officers at svlo@york.ac.uk.

Support

If you have been impacted by sexual violence and would like to speak to our Sexual Violence Liaison Officers about accessing specialist support, visit our sexual violence web page and email the SVLOs directly or fill out the online referral form.