{"id":36167,"date":"2021-01-29T18:26:56","date_gmt":"2021-01-29T23:26:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/?p=36167"},"modified":"2021-02-01T18:41:38","modified_gmt":"2021-02-01T23:41:38","slug":"michelle-roy-says-change-takes-time-but-shes-still-hopeful-about-action-plan-on-sexual-violence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/michelle-roy-says-change-takes-time-but-shes-still-hopeful-about-action-plan-on-sexual-violence\/","title":{"rendered":"Michelle Roy says change takes time, but she\u2019s still hopeful about action plan on sexual violence"},"content":{"rendered":"

You may remember Michelle Roy\u2019s name from this past November, when she kickstarted a protest movement over the handling of sexual assault on the Mount Allison campus. Roy\u2019s actions led to an apology from university president Jean Paul Boudreau, and\u00a0a promise of an action plan<\/a>\u00a0to overhaul the school\u2019s policies and procedures around sexual violence.<\/p>\n

On Monday, the university released the latest update on its progress with its action plan. Erica Butler called up Michelle Roy to get her thoughts on the process so far.<\/p>\n\nhttps:\/\/canada-info.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Michelle-Roy-Jan-27-2020-process-update.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

The last time Mount Allison released an update on its action plan to address sexual violence on campus, Michelle Roy had just been named co-chair of the university\u2019s internal working group on the issue, along with sex researcher and Mount Allison professor Lisa Dawn Hamilton. (See CHMA\u2019s\u00a0interview with Hamilton here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Roy says despite difficulties stemming from the pandemic and fluctuating restriction levels, the working group is making progress. A full roster of members was announced with this update, and Roy says the group is now meeting weekly. \u201cThings are moving,\u201d she says, \u201cso I\u2019m pretty excited.\u201d<\/p>\n

Members of the Sexual Violence Prevention Working Group<\/strong><\/p>\n

Co-chairs
\n<\/strong>Michelle Roy
\nLisa Dawn Hamilton<\/p>\n

Faculty & staff representatives
\n<\/strong>Krista Johnston, assistant professor of women\u2019s and gender studies and Canadian studies
\nAnne Comfort, vice-president, international and student affairs (acting)
\nPierre Arsenault, director of athletics and recreation<\/p>\n

Student representatives
\n<\/strong>Kira Bubar
\nHannah Hawkes
\nMoeka Irikura
\nAnia Kolbuszewska
\nRohin Minocha-McKenney (MASU representative)
\nGraeme Stevens<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Monday\u2019s update included the announcement that the\u00a0Canadian Centre for Legal Innovation in Sexual Assault Response<\/a>\u00a0(CCLISAR) has been selected to lead the independent review of Mount Allison policies and procedures around sexual violence.<\/p>\n

Roy says she\u2019s excited to work with CCLISAR, as they\u2019ve worked with other schools, such as St Francis Xavier University in Antigonish. CCLISAR\u2019s\u00a0report on St. FX\u2019s policies responding to sexualized violence is available online.<\/a><\/p>\n

Roy says she\u2019ll meet with the group for the first time next week.
\n\u201cThey\u2019re going to be here for quite a while, and they\u2019re going to be talking to a lot of people,\u201d says Roy. \u201cSo I\u2019m hopeful.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, says Roy, she\u2019s learned that \u201cchange doesn\u2019t happen overnight.\u201d She says, \u201cthings are slowing down a bit,\u201d with the action plan, but she is still optimistic, because she feels confident that she can speak up when necessary. \u201cI have a really big voice,\u201d says Roy. \u201cSo I\u2019m able to change things. And if things aren\u2019t going the way they should be, I can speak up pretty easily.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy says she still hears from plenty of people sharing stories and experiences of sexual violence on campus, including from people at other universities in the region.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve spent a lot of my time researching different policies at different universities across Atlantic Canada,\u201d says Roy. \u201cI think a lot of these people coming to me are just unaware of how the policies work and the investigations work.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to co-chairing the university\u2019s working group, Roy will be a member of the expert advisory panel which will review the report by CCLISAR before it is finalized and released.<\/p>\n

In the coming weeks, Roy says information will be released on how people can participate in the review by CCLISAR.<\/p>\n

Roy wants people on campus to, \u201cfeel free to speak up. Speak up to any of the groups that are being put together. Share your story, or share your thoughts, or anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/p>\n

Three-person panel to begin independent review of Mount Allison’s sexual assault policies<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n