Five. For every one-hundred sexual assaults that occur, that’s how many are reported to police. That’s right, only five. Think about that for a moment.
On a bus, in a classroom, at an office. It is prevalent across communities, campuses and workplaces yet many survivors remain silent. Consider that 95% of incidents are unknown to their campus, their employer, police or the community.
Think about all the stories that have not been told and the experiences that are never shared. Think about the resources that have not been sought and the support that was not received.
There is power in telling stories. It can free us, empower us, create accountability, open doors, bring closure and inspire others. REES gives survivors options to share their story, and be heard, in whatever way they choose.
REES believes survivors and we partner with leaders and change-makers from institutions, industries, public sector, private business and community organizations who are committed to supporting survivors and making change.
We are here. We hear you.
Although only a small number of sexual assault survivors report to police, many others perceive benefits in reporting, including personal empowerment, validation, perpetrator accountability, and a chance to try to prevent the perpetrator from offending against others
— West Coast LEAF, 2018
What REES Stands For
Respect
that survivors have diverse needs and that a range of reporting options should be available. Providing anonymous data allows a survivor to be counted and have their voice heard.
Educate
survivors by providing information about sexual violence policies and procedures, community resources and supports, evidence collection and retention, healthcare considerations and reporting options.
Empower
survivors by providing options about how, when and to whom they share their story.
Survivors
are at the centre of the work we do. We are deeply committed to developing reporting tools that are survivor-centred and trauma-informed. We work with local experts to understand the unique needs of sexual violence survivors in the community.
The REES Community
Mary Lobson
Founder, CEO
Suhad Bisharat
Chief Financial Officer
Nicole Leeson
Director of Campus Engagement
Nell Perry
Partnership Liaison / Youth Advisory Board Coordinator
Suzanne Paintin
Partnership Coordinator
Dr. Jocelyn Proulx
Research Coordinator
Erica Silva
Development Team
Jason Van Gorp
Development Team
Chris Watson
Development Team
Youth Advisory Board (YAB)
Nathan Dueck
Canadian Mennonite University
Emily Gerbrandt
University of Alberta
Melissa Ghidoni
Red River College
Poojah Krishna
University of Manitoba
Vatineh Magaji
University of Manitoba
Nancy Mitchell
University of Toronto
Nell Perry
Concordia University
Michelle Roy
Mount Allison University
Thomas Wright
McGill University
Grace Young
Western University
Advisory Board
Suzanne Braun
Relish Branding
Andrew Buck
Pitblado, LLP
Alexandra Cropp
Norway House Cree Nation / EVA Manitoba
Cate Friesen
The Story Source
Wadood Ibrahim
Protegra
Andrew MacIver
Cook Medical
Caitlin Salvino
Co-Founder, Our Turn National Action Plan / Sexual Violence Policy Advisor
