You, Me and Us: Similar, Strong and Diverse - Symposium on Specific
Experiences of Sexual Assault

MONTREAL, March 23 /CNW Telbec/ - The Regroupement québécois des centres d'aide et de lutte contre les agressions à caractère sexuel (CALACS) is pleased to announce its forthcoming symposium, "Toi, moi, nous : semblables, fortes et différentes," to be held at the Hôtel des Gouverneurs de Montréal, on Sunday, June 6, 2010.

The symposium will address the specific experiences of Aboriginal, immigrant and refugee women, women with a physical or intellectual disability and lesbians, in the context of sexual assault. Of particular interest are the issues of psychosocial intervention, obstacles women encounter in the justice system and hypersexualization in a context of diversity.

As Danièle Tessier, outreach officer for the Regroupement québécois des CALACs notes, "The social taboo around sexual violence causes serious harm, both to the victims and to their immediate circle. A victim can be any woman we meet, of any social or educational background, age or ethnocultural group. It must be stressed, however, that some groups of women may be more vulnerable to sexual violence as a result of the overlapping and mutually reinforcing impact of multiple forms of oppression, discrimination and exclusion."

Sexual assault centres (centres d'aide et de lutte contre les agressions à caractère sexuel, known by the French acronym, CALACS) have for many years provided services adapted to the different realities of women who are victims of sexual assault. As specialized resources, they offer assistance, support and advocacy to hundreds of women and teenage girls who are struggling with the consequences of sexual assault; they also strive for social change and reach thousands of people through their prevention/public education and advocacy work.

For further information: or to register for this symposium: Karine Tremblay, Regroupement québécois des CALACS, [phone], or outside Montréal at 1-877-717-5252, [email protected]; www.rqcalacs.qc.ca