Winnipeg News | 2nd Rally held: No means No |
The Canadian Federation of Students organized a second rally on April 1, 2011 hoping to make 'no means no' and rape a federal election issue. The rally was timely as April is 'Sexual Assault Awareness Month.'
Advocates and the opponents of date rape and of "no means no" want to make a federal election issue out of the case of a judge's comments in sentencing a Thompson man convicted of rape.
This past February of 2011, Justice Robert Dewar suggested the victim's attire and flirtatious behaviour were partly to blame for an attack, which involved forced intercourse. The judge called the attacker, Kenneth Rhodes, a "clumsy Don Juan" and noted the victim wore a lot of make up, a tube top and high heels. tube top, high heels. The comments made by the judge and the leanient sentening of the sex offender immedietly prompted a protest in front of the Winnipeg Law Courts building.
This second rally was held again outside the Winnipeg Law Courts building to express the outrage at Dewar's remarks.
We want to call out the federal candidates on where they stand on women's rights.
"The rally is about Dewar still not being held responsible for his comments," said Liz Carlyle with the Canadian Federation of Students. She said members of the student-funded organization are pressing the issue because women's groups have lost their government funding to organize and advocate for women's rights. Students who belong to a social network group held the rally today because it's election time and the start of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, she said.
They want candidates running in the federal election to speak out against the judge's comments and support funding for programs for women that help sexual assault victims and monitor the courts, said Carlyle.
Writer, survivor and advocate for survivors of domestic violence and abuse (Winnipeg) Karin Hiebert says " there is enough awareness, really...what we need is for something to be done, and it needs to start with our government, and justice system."
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