Remarkable Vancouver Non-Profit Strives to Combat Sexual Violence Against Misogyny-Affected People

Via: Good Night Out

Are there real-life consequences of seemingly harmless sexist comments?

According to the Canadian Women’s Foundation, “sexual assault is the only violent crime in Canada that is not declining.” Due to the sexual objectification of misogyny-affected people’s bodies, sexual violence often arises in situations where privileged individuals deem themselves as superior, creating a power imbalance in the relationship.

In addition to this, the study also finds that only “1 in 3 Canadians understand what it means to give consent in sexual situations.”

While there are many organizations in our community that focus on helping individuals impacted by sexual violence and help by providing all the resources they can offer - non-profit Good Night Out has been implementing bystander intervention by preventing dangerous incidents, in regards to sexual violence, from occurring during the night.

Good Night Out consists of many components, including a Board of Directors and a team of passionate volunteers who are seeking to dismantle rape culture through bystander intervention, and prevent sexual violence from happening during ‘vulnerable’ hours

In fact, a group of diligent volunteers on their team even take to the streets at night to directly provide services to protect those who are susceptible to sexist and homophobic harassment.

The Good Night Out website states that their organization was founded “out of an awareness of the links between alcohol consumption and sexual aggression.” Moreover, their main focuses include providing hospitality, arts, and nightlife.

Initially, according to their website, this project began after receiving “community concerns that staff and patrons in Vancouver’s nightlife could benefit from education around how to recognize, interrupt, and prevent sexual harassment and assault on nights out.”

Since then, Good Night Out has been recognized not only locally, but also internationally.

In addition, not only do Good Night Out team members put themselves in situations to de-escalate violent situations, but they also host workshops to spread awareness on how to prevent sexual violence from occurring in the first place. These public workshops cover topics including consent, trauma education, bystander education, and many more. Ultimately, their collective goal is to keep every community member safe.

Furthermore, their website also states that they use “recent research and best practices on gendered violence, bystander intervention, and anti-oppressive techniques to create a variety of original educational tools, interventions and messaging aimed at reducing gendered and homophobic harassment and violence.”

Good Night Out considers itself to be “authentic, meaningful and interactive while remaining survivor-centered.”

However, even though the presence of sexual violence protection services may be comforting, it is critical to reflect on why it is necessary for organizations to dedicate their cause and efforts to protect the safety of misogyny-affected people in the first place.

Gender inequity is still heavily perpetuated in many aspects of society. Whether it is interpersonal encounters of blatant misogyny or sexist disadvantages in the workplace, systemic misogyny is embedded in social structures and therefore allows for patriarchal views to carry on without repercussions.

For example, societal systems, like the police force, play a vital role in deciding whether violent perpetrators face the consequences they deserve and whether individuals impacted by sexual violence are provided with the resources they need to heal from their traumatic encounter(s). Therefore, it is essential that steps are taken to ensure that every violent predator is held accountable and educated on the serious consequences of their actions, particularly in the justice system.

Today, the harsh reality is that gender-based violence is widely accepted in society because patriarchal narratives have conditioned numerous people to internalize misogynistic views.

Every member of our community is socially responsible for educating themselves on unjust systems, identifying their personal biases, and learning how not to contribute to the oppression of the marginalized community in question.

Individuals, especially those who hold power and privilege in the heteropatriarchy, should take steps to shape a society without the need for protection from gender-based sexual violence, to begin with.