University students seek sexual violence legislation

A national students' group has delivered a letter with hundreds of signatures to Nova Scotia Education Minister KellyRegandemanding provincial legislation to preventsexualizedviolence on campus.

The Nova Scotia division of the Canadian Federation of Studentsis calling forstand-alone sexual assault policies, funding for survivor supportsas well asdata collection and reporting.

"This is legislation that students have been calling on in this province and all over the country for years now," said CharlotteKiddell, chair of theCanadian Federation of Students-Nova Scotia.

Sexual assault and campus culture

More than 650 names were attached to the letter, whichwas endorsed by numerous community organizations around the province.

The letter statedone in five women enrolled ata post-secondary institutionwill experience sexual assault during their studies.

It also saidthe Dalhousie Dentistry Gentlemen's Club controversy and public events such as the Saint Mary's University rape chants were not isolated incidents.

'A sense of urgency'

"Sexual violence has always been pervasive on our university and college campuses," said Kiddell.

"There certainly is a sense of urgency and it is well beyond time for our government to be taking action to protect students and survivors on campus."

Kiddell saidsimilar legislation has already been passed in Ontario, B.C.and Manitoba.

The letter saidthe majority of sexual assaults on campus go unreported because students fear they will not be believed or supported by their institutions.