The AMS Sexual Assault Support Centre celebrated 20 years of helping survivors on campus last Thursday.
Originating from a collaboration with Vancouver’s Women Against Violence Against Women (WAVAW) rape crisis center and now operating independently by the AMS, SASC has had a unique role in UBC student life.
“Twenty years is a big deal,” SASC Manager Aashna Josh told The Ubyssey in an interview before the event. “It's not common to have services like SASC on campus for this long, and there's a level of pride and appreciation for the sustained work we’ve been doing.”
Savannah Sutherland, SASC assistant manager, opened the event with the SASC’s mission statement, reflecting on its history as providers of support to those affected by sexualized violence, educators for prevention of sexual assault and as an anti-violence organization dedicated to decolonization.
Caitlin Doherty, SASC's support and advocacy coordinator said SASC's demand has grown over its 20 years. It hired additional staff, gradually increased fees, and expanded its reach with projects like the Healthier Masculinities program in 2015 and a partnership with BC Women’s Hospital in 2016.
Support worker Silvia Samira said the service saw a 200 per cent increase in appointments for support services between 2018 and 2022, and a 90 per cent increase in workshops delivered. SASC has recently created a new full-time educator position to expand their capacity.
“Since our inception, the SASC has provided sexual education as our main form of prevention,” Samira said.
Mimi Neufeld, an AMS policy advisor spoke about seeking support after seeing and experiencing violence, but she found little help from UBC.
“There was nothing there. The university wasn’t doing that kind of work back then. But students were, and that’s how I found the SASC.”
Neufeld found community through volunteering with the SASC, which shaped her approach to policy work. She continues to work closely with both them and UBC’s Sexual Violence Prevention and Response office., which opened in 2017.
“After tonight, it is the responsibility of every single person in this room to continue that work,” Neufeld said.
“The reality is that there will never be enough people doing this work. There will never be enough resources or money to put behind these issues… I look forward to seeing the kind of community that we will have in another 20 years.”