Understanding Sexual Violence and Gender-Based Violence

What is Sexual Harassment?

Sexual Harassment: is a course of unwanted remarks, behaviours, or communications of a sexually oriented nature and/or a course of unwanted remarks, actions that promote gender-based violence, or behaviours or communications based on gender – where the person responsible for the remarks, actions, behaviours or communications knows or ought reasonably to know that these are unwelcome. Sexual harassment may consist of unwanted attention of a sexually oriented nature such as personal questions about one’s sex life, persistent requests for a “date”, or unwelcome remarks about someone’s hair, body shape, etc. Sexual harassment may also consist of unwelcome remarks based on gender which are not of a sexual nature but which are demeaning such as derogatory gender based jokes or comments.

What Is Sexual Violence?

Sexual Violence: is a sexual act or act targeting a person’s sexuality, gender identity or gender expression, whether the act is physical or psychological in nature that is committed, threatened or attempted against a person without the person’s consent. This includes, but is not limited to sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, indecent exposure, voyeurism, sexual exploitation, degrading sexual imagery, distribution of sexual images or video of a community member without their consent, and cyber harassment or cyber stalking of a sexual nature.

What is Gender-Based Violence?

Gender-based violence: the use and abuse of control over another person and is perpetrated against someone based on their gender expression, gender identity, or perceived gender. GBV— including violence against women and girls—can take many forms including but not limited to: stalking, early or forced marriage, emotional and psychological abuse, financial abuse, genital mutilation and/or cutting, intimate partner violence, sexual exploitation, human trafficking, neglect, physical abuse, sexual assault, reproductive coercion, threats of violence (including self-harm) in order to coerce sex, rape, sexualized violence, technology-facilitated violence, stealthing or non consensual condom removal.