Needing Transformation: School-Related Gender-Based Violence in Canada

• In Event: Gender Transformative Education: An Emergent Concept’s Opportunities and Limitations in the Global North and South

Proposal

School-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) is defined as physical, sexual and psychological acts of violence influenced by gender norms, stereotypes, inequalities and exclusions that happens in, around or in relation to schools (Parkes et al., 2016). It has been recognized as a widespread human rights violation by international education stakeholders such as UNESCO (Ginestra, 2020) and proponents of GTE prioritize eliminating it in schools. While SRGBV is now broadly used in research and policy relating to the Global South, it is rarely used in relation to the Global North. In Canada, few studies address the prevalence of SRGBV; two national surveys of 4000 students each show that sexual violence and homophobic and transphobic bullying among students are widespread (Taylor, Singh & Common, 2019; Peter, Campbell, & Taylor, 2011). This presentation analyzes the manifestation of SRGBV and efforts to eradicate various forms of gender-based discrimination in schools in Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia.

The Achieving Gender Justice in Education project begins with open-ended interviews with 15 educators and 10 student activists who self-identified as working to enhance gender justice in schools. Initial data analysis uses thematic analysis and will subsequently be further analyzed by participants using a participatory process. Data collection remains ongoing at the time of submission, but participants interviewed to date have spoken to various forms of gender-based violence and discrimination experienced in schools, including inappropriate touching, sexual harassment, and resistance to initiatives to provide safer school environments for girls and 2SLGBTQ+ students from some administrators, parents, and community members. Many participants describe experiencing a backlash in recent years that has made any kind of gender-related initiative more challenging. Findings confirm that SRGBV exists in Canadian schools and disproportionately affects girls and 2SLGBTQ+ students. Yet they also point to the substantive work being undertaken by students, teachers, and administrators to foster safety and equity in schools, providing a platform for stakeholders who align with the vision of gender transformative education to build upon. This presentation will reflect on the significance of this data in light of global conversations on SRGBV and the universal relevance of GTE, including in high socio-economic countries such as Canada.

References

Ginestra, C. (2020). School-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) – A human rights violation and a threat to inclusive and equitable quality education for all. Background paper for the Global Education Monitoring Report. UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000374509

Parkes, J., Heslop, J., Ross, F. J., Westerveld, R., & Unterhalter, E. (2016). A rigorous review of global research evidence on policy and practice on school-related gender-based violence.

Peter, T., Campbell, C. P., & Taylor, C. (2021). Still in every class in every school; Final report on the second climate survey on homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia in Canadian schools. Egale Canada Human Rights Trust.

Taylor, C., Singh, A., & Common, D. (2019, October 25). More than 1 in 7 girls say they were sexually assaulted by another student — but schools lack policies to help. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/marketplace-school-violence-sexual-violence-1.5329520

Author

• Catherine Vanner, University of Windsor