Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week (SASVAW) is the UK’s national week to raise awareness of sexual abuse and sexual violence.

Running from 5 – 11 February, the week is a chance to shine a light on the issue and the organisations that work in this sector.  It helps to educate, inform and direct people to support and information.  It is also a chance for interested organisations to find out more about what is going on around them and to share information with their members and followers.

Messages you can trust

We know that, for many, there can be a fear of getting things wrong or passing on the wrong messages.  At the Consent Coalition we have got you covered, with our work including award-winning campaigns and resources, which are both FREE to download from our website and are digitally shareable.  In fact, our content is proving so popular, that it has now being used as far away as Africa, North America and Australia!

During SASVAW 2024 we are going to be sharing some exclusive social media posts in series form.  These click-through posts will provide longer answers to some key questions.  For example, most of us know that consent is a choice, but did you know that this can only be made by someone who has the freedom and capacity to choose?  That means that if a person feels scared to say ‘no’ or they are too drunk etc, then they are unable to consent.

Also, we look at things like whether an absence of a ‘no’ is actually consent.  SPOILER ALERT – it isn’t.  Which is why we say that, however consent is given, consent looks ‘clear and enthusiastic.’

Other subjects that we will be covering during the week include:

• What do we mean by sexual violence?
• Why does consent matter?
• How do you get consent?

Why talking about consent is so important

At the Consent Coalition, we believe that consent is central to happy and health sexual encounters.  Consent is the difference between pleasure and trauma and between sex and rape.  By talking about consent and what it looks like in different situations (think kink, filming and nights out) we are normalising consent and challenging the myths and beliefs that enable sexual violence to happen.  Win-win!

Get involved with SASVAW 2024

This SASVAW week we are asking everyone to get involved with taking positive actions around consent.  Really simple steps we can all take include:

• Following us on your socials (@ConsentInNotts) and share our posts about consent
• Talking to your favourite bar or venue about the Safe Space Pledge
• Commit to learning more about consent through our online resources
• Share a link to our Your Journey guide with your employer, so that they know more about the support available should a colleague disclose abuse

You can find out about more work local organisations are doing for this week by looking at our online page.

Whatever you do this SASVAW week, keep consent at the heart of it, and you can’t go far wrong!