Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2025

Welcome back to campus, UBCO!

January marks the first month of a new semester and Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The UBCO Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO) team has worked tirelessly to create many engaging and informative events for all students to participate in throughout this month.

We understand that this month and general topic can cause unwanted mental and physical stress. To better support our students, we’ve compiled a list of mental health supports and services available for students that can be found in the link here.

This year, your SUO Campaigns Committee will be hosting a SAAM March With Survivors on campus and has collaborated with the Women’s Resource Centre to host Cookies and Consent. More event details will follow. We cannot wait for you to join us at these events in whatever capacity you can. Come curious to learn, meet fellow students, and make a difference in our campus community.

The SUO, alongside other student unions and advocacy groups, have signed a letter calling on the Primer of BC to make Sexualized and Gender Based Violence an epidemic in our Province. In Kelowna alone, there were 315 cases of sexual assault reported in 2023. Sadly, we know that this number is not a true representation of assaults that have occurred in our city.

We understand that it’s not always easy to speak up and to challenge the so-called norm. However, we ask you, our members, to join us in our advocacy efforts by joining SAAM events hosted on campus and by signing the open letter found here.

Let’s work together to make our campus community a safer environment!

In your service,

Abby Newman, SUO VP External 2024-2025