Women’s Forum at IFPTE Convention Explores Consent Culture

Leading into the IFPTE Convention, a Women’s Forum was held earlier this week for convention delegates and members. Organized by the IFPTE Women’s Solidarity Network (WSN), over 30 members from Canada and US took part in a workshop focused on building a culture of consent within our union and workplaces.

WSN Chair Tracy Miller, IFPTE Local 160, welcomed participants, providing an overview of the WSN. The workshop was led by Canadian Labour Congress facilitators Fatima Gardaad, Sarah Hedges-Chou, and Kim Kent.

Participants were asked to discuss what consent is, describing how it feels, looks, and sounds like. Workplace scenarios were introduced, examining office and online interactions. One of the key lessons from the training emphasized that consent is a constant process, meaning it can be given and taken away at any time. In a culture of consent, the fact that consent is mandatory is normalized, respected and valued in society. It is an expression of values and attitudes that respects bodily autonomy and understands that each person is always the best judge of their own wants and needs.

WNS thanks the CLC for designing and delivering a very informative workshop.

If you are interested in learning more about consent culture, check out the online resources below.

Union Resources:

• CLC Domestic Violence at Work Resource Center

• CLC #DoneWaiting Campaign

External Resources:

• Draw The Line – Ontario Anti-Sexual Violence Campaign

• #ConsentComesFirst – Ryerson University 5 D's of Bystander Intervention

• HollaBack!

Sources (definitions):

Consent Comes First - Ryerson University

Anti-Violence Project

Domestic Violence at Work Resource Centre

Consent - It’s Simple As Tea:

Consent - It’s Simple As Tea Video

Sexual Consent Really Isn’t Like A Cup of Tea – But at Least We’re Talking About It - The Conversation

Are Tea and Consent Simple? - Simon Fraser University