Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) is a month-long series of engagement opportunities hosted by the Sexual Violence Support & Prevention Office (SVSPO) in collaboration with SFU and FIC partners every January. The purpose of SAAM is to raise awareness about sexual violence and to empower SFU and FIC students, faculty, and staff to engage with this complex topic in meaningful ways.
SAAM is informed by four guiding principles. SAAM is:
- Trauma-informed
- Inclusive
- Intersectional
- Action-oriented
In recognition of the ongoing marginalization of Black, Indigenous and Peoples of Colour in discourses on sexual violence, the theme of SAAM 2021 is Centering BIPOC Perspectives. The current social and political climate demands meaningful and sustained engagement with the intersections between racism and sexism. SAAM 2021 is an opportunity to center the voices and perspectives of BIPOC people as we take individual and collective action to eliminate sexual violence and to create safer, more equitable communities. The theme is meant to promote engagement with BIPOC perspectives on sexual violence, and not to limit or exclude SAAM events or activities.
There will be activities that span the month hosted by both SFU and UBC. For more information on the events, please visit https://www.sfu.ca/sexual-violence/education-prevention/saam.html
If you have a caring message for survivors of sexual violence, please consider leaving a message at #dearsurvivorsfu