By Myra Khalil, February 12 2024—
From Feb. 12 to Feb. 16, the Students’ Union (SU) in partnership with multiple on-campus partners is hosting Sexual and Gender Awareness Week at the University of Calgary.
In a statement to the Gauntlet, Vice President Student Life Ermia Rezaei-Afsah encourages U of C students to participate in the planned events, as they are meant to educate on topics beyond sex for greater well-being.
“Sex Week is important because it promotes sexual health, sexual diversity and overall sexual awareness. It isn’t just about sex specifically though, as it promotes all those values from a gender perspective as well. It also teaches students about self-care habits, which I am a big advocate for myself,” said Rezaei-Afsah.
Rezaei-Afsah recommends that students attend the Sex Week Carnival held at MacEwan hall on Feb. 12 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. where organizations from the Calgary community will be present.
“The event I recommend the most is the carnival, where students get a blank passport to fill up at the booths by learning about and interacting with the resources. If you fill up your passport, you get cotton candy which is my favourite part,” the statement continued.
On Feb. 13 in That Empty Space, there will be a session on Consent and Boundary Basics with the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response Office that aims to educate on how to set boundaries and navigate difficult situations.
“This engaging workshop introduces the aspects of consent, defines boundaries and gives strategies for communicating our own boundaries and rolling with rejection,” read the event description.
The final event, called Inclusive Valentines Making will be hosted by the Q Centre. There will be art supplies so that students can drop by and make crafts with the help of volunteers and coordinators.
More information about the events can be found on the SU website.
