Change the Silence

DONATE

FINDINGS

WHAT WE ARE LEARNING

Our youth-designed logo

Nestu'a'tieg - We become wiser

Findings so far have highlighted the ways in which the sexualization of girls and women is woven into the everyday experiences of men and women.

Sexual violence is both normalized and taboo within the community. This results in a pervasive silence around the topic, that when broken, ordinarily results in the blaming and shaming of the victim. To further the reduction of sexual violence, the young women and men of Eskasoni who have been exploring this issue conclude that we need to integrate awareness and dialogue into the everyday experience of the community. This seemingly simple intervention involves generating foundational awareness in the community and the integration of continuous dialogue into the community conversation. 

The findings explore...

  • 1
    What sexual violence encompasses for Mi'kmaw women from Eskasoni​
  • 2
    The ways in which multiple social and historical structures silences girls, women, and communities around issues of sexual violence​
  • 3
    What is required for women and the community to resist some of the aspects of sexual violence
  • 4
    What positive, non-violent perceptions of masculinity entail and what is required to support the development of such masculinity

Reports

BEING FEAR-LESS IN THE FACE OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE
UNDERSTANDING AND DEVELOPING HEALTHY MASCULINITY IN YOUNG MEN
ESKASONI RESILIENCE AND RESISTANCE: UNDERSTANDING RESILIENCE AS A COMPONENT OF RESISTANCE AND ADVOCACY AGAINST SEXUAL VIOLENCE
STUCK IN THE MIDDLE: THE ROLE OF MEDIA IN THE SEXUAL VICTIMISATION OF WOMEN

These reports are a result of the hard work that our community researchers have put in. These participatory methods offer a number of benefits, including using group work to learn about these issues ‘from the ground up.’


Using decolonizing methods is also of great importance to our community, which struggles with the legacy of colonialism. How these issues relate to colonization and affect Indigenous youth are investigated and responded to.

Posters

These youth-created posters bring awareness to sexual violence, resisting sexual violence, and the Seven Sacred Teachings.

STOP SEXUAL VIOLENCE
RESISTING SEXUAL VIOLENCE
SEVEN SACRED TEACHINGS

Break the Silence Video

This video project offers an overview of some of the work that our youth researchers have been producing by outlining the various ways sexual violence occurs. 

 

See our video in action! Reach the Networks for change report on The Adolescent Development and Participation Network.