'Never Blame the Victim': YWCA Regina launches annual sexual assault awareness campaign

For 15 years, Pamela Carpenter kept silent about her experience of sexual violence.

"It's the sad truth of it, it's usually an offender that you do know, whether it's a person in the family, an uncle or a brother or a grandfather," she said, adding that made it hard to open up to people close to her.

"When it's somebody that is very close and it's a loved one and a family member, there is a little bit of guilt and shame, and not wanting to speak about it because of the ramifications that can happen within the family."

Now, she wants to tell her own three daughters that they should never feel shame or guilt or think they will not be believed if they come to her to talk about sexual violence. 

Carpenter is one of several business owners partnering with the YWCA Regina in its annual Blamé campaign to raise awareness of sexual violence. The campaign, which runs from May 10 to 14, was created by YWCA Canada with the aim of raising awareness on how survivors of sexual assault are often judged instead of supported.

Bars, retailers and restaurants have partnered with the YWCA to place stickers with QR codes on shopping and takeout bags. People who scan the QR code with their phone are taken to a website where they can learn how to give and receive support regarding sexual violence.

Community partners with YWCA Regina will also share messages of support on social media, using the hashtag #NeverBlameTheVictim.

Alexis Losie, senior director of operations at YWCA Regina, says it's still common for sexual assaults to go unreported. One in three women experience sexual assault in their lifetime, and about 91 per cent of assaults are not reported, according to the YWCA.

"The ultimate hope is that these conversations help survivors, and they help people who are moving through this very difficult process," Losie said. "It's not conversations that have to happen behind closed doors or through whispers at tables, but it is something incredibly important to have with your friends and your peers and your family and those in your community." 

Carpenter says she was only five years old when she was sexually assaulted by a family member.

She said her mother recently recalled a time when she had been warned by her aunts to stay out of the house when her uncles were over and drinking. 

"That should not be something that a woman needs to say to their children," Carpenter said. "There needs to be accountability." 

She noted Indigenous females are more likely to face sexual violence than other groups in Canada, with Statistics Canada reporting Indigenous women are three times more likely to report sexual assault than non-Indigenous women.

As a North Central business owner of The Bannock House, Carpenter says she confronts sexual violence within her own community. She says women and girls know they can come to her to find help, and partnering with the YWCA is just one more way for her to offer them support.

"When more people are speaking about it, it's more comfortable to have those conversations," Carpenter said.