The AMS and the Sexual Assault Support Centre (SASC) have secured two seats on the Provincial Committee for Sexualized Violence.
At AMS Council on August 28, VP External Ayesha Irfan announced the seats on the committee — the mandate of the committee is to provide recommendations and feedback to the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills on its strategic direction.
Irfan explained that every year, the committee has a nomination process where post-secondary schools can put themselves forward to sit on the committee.
Irfan said her office and SASC will be “working very tightly together … to make sure that we can serve students the best that we can.”
“On my end, I can do the advocacy, but it’s important that I carry the work and the lived experiences of the folks who work hands-on with students into these spaces.”
An initiative Irfan said she will be pushing for is the expansion of the committee’s jurisdiction. She explained that currently on campus, a victim of sexual assault or sexualized violence can only hold parties accountable to on-campus policy if the act occurred on-campus, even if the rest of the relationship was on-campus.
“This isn’t a problem that’s unique to the AMS and UBC, it’s very common amongst different post-secondary schools across the province,” Irfan said. “Expanding jurisdiction is key on our front on making sure that survivors on campus get the support they deserve.”
Irfan is also working on having a robust education about the culture for consent and addressing different educational gaps that are currently within the system. She aims to use this opportunity to advocate for all students in the province, not just those at UBC. Irfan said collaboration is important to her. “Making sure that I’m talking to other universities and their student representatives can make sure that we have a unified voice at the table.”
With a seat on the committee, Irfan believes it allows the AMS “space to really be a pioneer in that work” and reflects broader AMS goals of making students feel safe on campus.
“It's a privilege to be in this seat and in this space, and I think the best way to go about it is by really making sure that we are amplifying certain concerns and what's happening on campus,” said Irfan.
“Whenever we have the opportunity to do advocacy with students, we’re making sure their priorities are on the front lines.”
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