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Kim Mason and Gaye Wishart formulated Dalhousie's Get Consent program. (Nick Pearce Photo)

鈥淣o means no. Silence means no. Not now means no. Drunk means no.鈥�

Dalhousie鈥檚 new sexual assault prevention initiative 鈥� the 鈥楪et Consent鈥� campaign 鈥� is hoping to send a clear message about a complex subject.

Adapted from a University of Toronto initiative, the goal is to emphasize that sexual consent isn鈥檛 just about verbal messages, and that there is an active need for both partners to communicate and get consent. Just because you don鈥檛 hear 鈥渘o鈥� doesn鈥檛 mean you have the green light.

鈥淐onsent isn鈥檛 just 鈥榶es鈥� or 鈥榥o,鈥欌�� says Kim Mason, residence education coordinator with Housing and Conference Services. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the main message of the campaign.鈥�

As well, the campaign hopes to reach more students and cover more information than in past years.

鈥淚n terms of traditional sex education, it鈥檚 always more focused on the female. This campaign is more focused on the partnership 鈥� there鈥檚 responsibility for both parties to consent,鈥� adds Gaye Wishart, an advisor in the office of Human Rights, Equity and Harassment Prevention.聽

Until now, Dal has promoted harassment prevention primarily through resident assistants, peer educators and cluster leaders and has made resources like videos and pamphlets available to them. With posters, a new website, and a presence on campus message boards, as well as the original education component, Get Consent will be a much more prominent campaign.

鈥淲e鈥檇 rather prevent a problem than have to untangle it once it鈥檚 already happened,鈥� says Ms.Wishart.