Story submitted by Richard Webster, International Education Manager, Community Development, Katie Sills, Manager, Student Rights & Responsibilities and Ekta Singh, Program Coordinator & Professor, Health Care Administration
Earlier this spring, two students in SLC’s Health Care Administration program – Giselle Roque Garces and Marinelly Villalobos Nieto – had the opportunity to participate in COSTI Immigrant Services’ Advisory Committee to help develop content on gender-based violence (GBV) for international students in Ontario. This initiative has resulted in the creation of a province-wide e-module for international students on “Understanding Gender-based Violence” that is now available online. According to Ruchika Singh, Project Coordinator for COSTI, the students’ participation in the GBV Initiative “helped design meaningful and culturally responsive content.”
Marinelly and Giselle, now SLC graduates, noted that:
“Participating in this initiative has been an insightful and enlightening experience. The main goal of this initiative was to create awareness and knowledge about gender-based violence and its impacts on international students in Canada. Our involvement included advice and revision of the content development of the e-module and supporting material. The e-module includes information about GBV in Canada, why it is important, prevention and awareness, how to identify it and how to support and refer anyone in need. We believe it is important to share helpful resources to prevent/stop violence and understand that it is possible to help people experiencing GBV… We can make a difference if we support the international community in need.”
Marinelly and Giselle were connected to this initiative through SLC’s growing partnership with Ontario’s International Student Connect (ISC) program, coordinated by GTA-based COSTI. ISC is intended to further support international students and their families’ integration journey through offering supplementary resources and settlement supports. Watch upcoming newsletters for more details on this new partnership.
Ending sexual and gender-based violence is a community effort. You do not need to be an expert to be involved or to have an impact on our community! Steps you can take to end sexual and gender based violence include but are not limited to: learning more about sexual and gender-based violence and the impacts it can have on individuals and communities, reviewing the information the SLC website, and/or enrolling in the “Understanding Gender Based-Violence” module explained above. All efforts are valuable and are important in creating a community that is free from sexual and gender based violence.
Important SLC, community and national resources are noted below.
Campus Support
- SLC Student Rights and Responsibilities Office (tri-campus)
- SLC Student Wellness and Accessibility (tri-campus)
- Belonging, People and Culture (tri-campus)
Canadian Organizations
- Ending Violence Association of Canada
- Canadian Women’s Foundation
- Assaulted Women’s Hotline
- Fem’aide (French only)
- Courage to Act
Kingston
Brockville
Cornwall