USask sexual violence rally draws dozens as students voice desire for safety

Several dozen students, faculty members and administrators gathered Thursday afternoon at the University of Saskatchewan to rally against sexual violence on campus.

The rally, which took place at Nobel Plaza, was organized after a 22-year-old man was charged with the sexual assault of a woman on the University of Saskatchewan campus last week.

Speakers, many of whom shared that they were survivors of sexual assault, spoke of the need for more campus measures to improve the safety of students — particularly female students, students of colour and students with disabilities — and access to supports for survivors to heal and address traumatic events.

“We believe you and we believe survivors,” one speaker said to the crowd.

Another relayed their response to hearing about last week’s campus assault, explaining they had to go home early from work after they were sick in the washroom and had a dissociative episode.

At one point, an individual walked up to the microphone to place a hand on the shoulder of a speaker who was near tears, offering support.

People attending hold signs at the University of Saskatchewan sexual violence rally on Oct. 7, 2021. (Libby Giesbrecht/650 CKOM)

Kseniah Pidskalny said she wasn’t surprised to hear about about the sexual assault, but said the thought of it was terrifying.

“Knowing the circumstances of the situation was appalling, to realize that something like that could even take place … on campus,” she said.

As a woman, Pidskalny said she grew up being warned about walking on university campuses at night.

“But in a building where someone can just walk in and get away with something like that is horrifying to think about,” she added. “(It) makes being on campus an even more traumatizing place to be.”

Holding a sign about the importance of consent, Jaycen Jakubowksi attended Thursday’s rally as a transgender man and a survivor of childhood sexual abuse.

He said gender plays a role in the issue of sexual assault.

“As someone who is a man now, I definitely have a lot of privilege feeling more safe than a woman would,” he explained. “I’ve been out on campus after dark and I didn’t feel in danger or anything just because of my identity and how I present to other people.”

But Jakubowski understands the pain felt by survivors because of his own abuse.

“I know how important it is to have those supports in place so people can move on and be successful and get over the emotional trauma caused by acts like this,” he said.

Jakubowksi wished more men had attended the rally. He said he doesn’t see many men taking the issue of sexual assault seriously, instead often hearing it downplayed, dismissed or joked about.

He wants to see proper supports put in place to prevent sexual assault as much as possible, and for survivors to heal.

“It isn’t always the case where you can prevent this kind of stuff and that’s the scary part,” he said.

Payton Eckert couldn’t attend the rally Thursday because of an exam, but said she and other first-year law students she knows wanted to be there.

“It’s just important for me as a woman and as a student to feel safe while I’m getting my education on campus and I think that everyone should feel that way,” she explained, adding the issues of sexual assault and consent are prevalent legal and social concerns today.

Eckert expressed gratitude to the school for its efforts following the assault at the end of September, however. She said that even though the email sent out by the school “definitely scared a lot of people,” she was glad to be informed and to see that safety measures were being taken by the school.

She said she hopes enhanced security measures become permanent on campus and not just a temporary solution.

Solutions proposed by speakers at the rally included installing more cameras and light sources on the campus for students out at night. More transparency and communication is wanted between students and campus security.

Pidskalny also suggested key cards to limit access to campus buildings at night to students.