Sexual Violence

Global activist - now a U of T PhD student - uses AI to combat sexual violence

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 16:52:22 +0000

Global activist - now a U of T PhD student - uses AI to combat sexual violence

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 01/14/2025 - 11:52

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PhD student Bukky Shonibare's research at the intersection of law, policymaking and technologies such as AI aims to ensure justice for women and girls, particularly as it relates to sexual violence (supplied image)

Adam Elliott Segal

Topic

Global Lens

Centre for Diaspora and Transnational Studies

Kelly Hannah-Moffat

Centre for Criminology & Sociolegal Studies

Faculty of Arts & Science

Subheadline

Bukky Shonibare co-founded the #BringBackOurGirls movement after 276 school girls were abducted by Boko Haram in 2014 in Northern Nigeria

Nigerian activist Bukky Shonibare is hoping the ��߲ݴ�ý can help her bring an international fight for justice into the age of artificial intelligence.

As co-founder of the #BringBackOurGirls movement, launched after 276 Chibok schoolgirls were abducted in northern Nigeria by Boko Haram in 2014, Shonibare brought worldwide awareness to the issue by holding up a placard every day for five years – no matter where she was in the world.

Her efforts garnered global media attention, earned her an invitation to speak at the UN General Assembly and helped draw high-profile supporters to the cause, including former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama and Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai.

Shonibare holds a placard for the #BringBackOurGirls campaign (supplied image)

“One of my supervisors called it affective justice,” says Shonibare, who completed a master’s degree in international human rights law at the University of Oxford and is now pursuing her PhD at U of T’s Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies in the Faculty of Arts & Science.

“We used emotions as sentiment to galvanize the world to pay attention to the young girls who had been abducted.”

At U of T, Shonibare is studying criminology and policy making, law and state power and research methods – and her research at the intersection of law, policymaking and technologies such as AI is focused on ensuring justice for present and future generations of women and girls, particularly as it relates to sexual violence. Her supervisors include Kelly Hannah-Moffat, a professor of criminology and sociolegal studies, and sociology, who is U of T’s vice-president, people strategy, equity and culture, and Kamari Maxine Clarke, a distinguished professor in the Centre for Criminology & Sociolegal Studies and the Centre for Diaspora & Transnational Studies.

“One of the problems for survivors of sexual violence is sometimes you don't want to talk to a human being who will judge you,” says Shonibare, who grew up in Lagos and is a survivor of sexual abuse herself.

Her plan? Gather and preserve survivors' testimonies via an AI-powered virtual assistant she has named Keepit. That way they have the option of pursuing legal action in the future, she says.

“Keepit will rely on natural language processing, machine learning and cloud computing to understand, respond and provide support to survivors of sexual violence,” says Shonibare. “For example, a survivor might say, ‘Hey Keepit, I need to talk about what happened last night,’ and Keepit would respond with, ‘I'm here to listen. Take your time. You can start whenever you're ready.’”

Beyond voice and text empathetic conversation, Keepit will support evidence preservation, legal preparation and referrals for survivors.

In addition to her work with #BringBackOurGirls, which vows to continue its 10-year-old campaign until all of the women have been released, Shonibare is the executive director of Invictus Africa, a social enterprise that promotes human rights and gender equality through data-driven advocacy, while leveraging digital technology, engaging stakeholders and building capacity.

She also developed SheTV, an online TV and podcast platform dedicated to women and girls, and Adopt-A-Camp, which provided humanitarian assistance to internally displaced persons.

The years of field work have taken their toll.

“I was going to a whole lot of dangerous places until one time when I had a near-death experience – and professionals advised me to pull back from the northeast because, at that time, Boko Haram was abducting a lot of humanitarian aid workers.”

In Chibok, they call her “Kwatuwa,” or female warrior, she adds.

Shonibare says goodbye to a group of schoolchildren at an internally displaced people camp in Nigeria (supplied image)

Hannah-Moffatt says Shonibare’s dedication to social justice and community betterment is inspiring.

“Bukky’s profound desire to make a positive social impact is reflected in her research on how digital technologies can empower and ensure the safety of women and girls,” says Hannah-Moffatt. “Her development of Keepit is a critical initiative that offers survivors a safe and empowering platform to share their stories through AI-powered, voice-activated technology.

“Her work not only advances technology but also uplifts and empowers women and girls by building a community that supports recovery and strength.”

Clarke adds that Shonibare’s work is not only on the cutting edge of new social justice developments but also offers important avenues for understanding the place and limitations of AI in a changing world.

“This work is at the cutting edge of sociolegal studies and provides ways to think about not only violence but the importance of information, inquiry and political action,” she says. “Her work has the potential to transform justice possibilities for women and underserved communities around the world.”

Shonibare, for her part, sees it as an evolution of her years working on the front lines.

“The impact of my research will be to show ... how technology, particularly AI, can be used to ensure justice for survivors of sexual violence.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bukky Shonibare (@bukkyshonibare)

U of T to use new sexual violence data on Ontario universities to enhance education and supports

geoff.vendeville — Thu, 27 Feb 2020 21:25:36 +0000

U of T to use new sexual violence data on Ontario universities to enhance education and supports

geoff.vendeville Thu, 02/27/2020 - 16:25

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(photo by David Lee)

Geoffrey Vendeville

Topic

Our Community

Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre

Undergraduate Students

The ��߲ݴ�ý is welcoming newly released data from a two-year-old province-wide, online student survey on sexual harassment and sexual assault, saying it will paint a more detailed picture of the issues and help improve supports on campus.

The new data, originally collected as part of the 2018 Student Voices on Sexual Violence Survey, was released by the Ontario government to universities and colleges. It sheds additional light on issues such as stalking and high-risk groups, while also providing more context on students’ experiences. It includes overall averages for U of T and demographic data for the university sector as a whole.

An overview of the key findings from the same survey was published widely last year.

Sandy Welsh, U of T’s vice-provost, students, says the additional survey results provide a more fine-grained view of the challenges institutions of higher education face, and that the information will be “invaluable” in bolstering programs, outreach and services at U of T and other Ontario universities.

“Our top priority is the safety of our students and supporting people who have experienced sexual violence or harassment – whether they choose to report or not,” says Welsh.

“We’ve taken steps in recent years to improve our services and raise awareness, but we know there's still work to do.”

The overview of the survey released last spring indicated that 63 per cent of students province-wide, and 59 per cent of students at U of T, reported at least one incident of sexual harassment since the beginning of the 2017-2018 academic year. Overall, about 23 per cent of students, and 17 per cent at U of T, said they had experienced a non-consensual sexual encounter in the past academic year.

The newly shared data, meanwhile, suggest about 24 per cent of respondents across Ontario universities reported a stalking incident since the beginning of the 2017-2018 academic year, while about 22 per cent of U of T student respondents reported a stalking experience.

There’s also new sector-wide data to suggest certain groups are particularly vulnerable to sexual harassment and assault. Black, Indigenous, disabled, gender-diverse and female students reported sexual violence at higher rates – a result consistent with findings of other studies on sexual violence at universities.

Many students across the province also said they didn’t understand how to access academic accommodations related to sexual violence, didn’t know how to access supports such as counselling and didn’t understand their formal reporting options.

Over 117,000 university students responded to the Student Voices on Sexual Violence Survey between February and April of 2018. They included full-time undergraduate students, full-time college students, graduate students and those attending private career colleges. At U of T, more than 20,000 students completed the survey.

Welsh cautioned that the data is not comparable between institutions because the survey didn’t account for differences in demographic profiles at different schools or among survey respondents themselves.

At U of T, the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre, which opened in 2017, provides students, faculty and staff on all three campuses with support and guidance related to sexual violence. The centre also offers resources to educate people on sexual violence prevention and awareness.

In May of last year, the centre released a summary of its work over its first two years in operation, showing it had provided 300 hours of training to students, staff and faculty, held 64 outreach events and led 190 workshops on everything from bystander intervention to building a culture of consent.

“We want people to know they are not alone and that they have a safe place to go where they can learn about their options,” Welsh says.

“We’re committed to tackling this issue and providing everyone in our community with the support they need.”

Student survey on sexual violence highlights need for more action on awareness, support and prevention

Romi Levine — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 04:00:00 +0000

Student survey on sexual violence highlights need for more action on awareness, support and prevention

Romi Levine Wed, 03/20/2019 - 00:00

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Over 20,000 U of T students responded to a survey on sexual violence (photo by Diana Tyszko)

Topic

Undergraduate Students

The ��߲ݴ�ý says it remains committed to providing students with a safe and supportive campus, following the results of a voluntary survey administered by the Ontario government on post-secondary student attitudes and experiences related to sexual violence.

“The results we have received today show that our students are experiencing sexual violence and that there are areas where we have some work to do,” said Sandy Welsh, U of T's vice-provost, students. "We really do want to create the best learning environments that are possible. We want to work with our students and our student groups to continue to come up with solutions and to help us improve our services."

The Student Voices on Sexual Violence survey was conducted between February and March of 2018 and received more than 160,000 responses from college and university students across the province – including over 20,000 U of T students.

A summary of the report was released today by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. It provides insight into students’ understanding of concepts like consent, awareness of sexual violence support and services available, and satisfaction with their academic institution’s response to incidents of sexual violence. It also reports on student experiences of sexual violence.

“I am grateful for all of the university students who took the time to participate in this survey,” said Welsh. “We will use this information to make sure we understand the experiences of our students and are able to target and understand the areas where we need to do more work.”

Some key results of the survey include the following:

63 per cent of university students say they have experienced an incident of sexual harassment since the beginning of the academic year. At U of T, 59 per cent of respondents disclosed one or more incidents of sexual harassment. Incidents of this type, as stated in the survey, include being put down because of one’s gender identity or sexual orientation, being touched in a way that made one feel uncomfortable, and being sent unwelcome sexual comments or pictures by text, email or social media.
23 per cent of university students and 17 per cent of participants from U of T disclosed experiencing a non-consensual sexual experience in the past academic year, including kissing, the removal of clothing or sexual penetration.
22 per cent of university students – and 20 per cent of respondents from U of T – say they are aware of the support, services and reporting procedures related to sexual violence at their university.
For those university students who say they have experienced sexual violence, and who told a faculty or staff member, 60 per cent say they were satisfied with the institutional response to the incident. At U of T, 59 per cent of respondents say they were satisfied. Kinds of institutional responses included the institution believing the survivor, meeting needs for academic accommodation and providing support, including counselling, health and safety services.

At U of T, the tri-campus Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre provides students, faculty and staff on all three campuses with support and guidance related to sexual violence and resources that can help to educate people on sexual violence prevention and awareness.

Visit the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre

“Our centre is here and available to anyone who may be affected by sexual violence," said Angela Treglia, director of the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre. "We want people to know they are not alone and that they have a place to go. We know that it is important for people who have been affected by sexual violence to feel like they have a safe and confidential space where they can go and learn about their options and that's the type of space we're committed to providing to our community."

The centre, which was established in 2017 in response to the university’s Action Plan on Preventing and Responding to Sexual Violence, offers confidential support for the U of T community, including assistance with the reporting of sexual violence incidents, referrals to services on and off campus, help with academic accommodations, and guidance for individuals who have received a disclosure related to sexual violence.

While navigating the university can be daunting, Treglia said the centre's website is designed so that those in need of support have a simple pathway for finding the help they need.

The centre also offers interactive workshops on topics that include building a culture of consent and online resources to help people play an active role in preventing sexual violence. To date, the centre has hosted 200 workshops and training sessions for over 8,000 students, staff and faculty.

“The centre works collaboratively with divisions and departments across the university to address sexual violence on our campus and to build a culture of consent, so we know it's a shared responsibility,” Treglia said.

Today’s announcement by the Ontario government included an action plan to address sexual violence in postsecondary institutions. Merrilee Fullerton, minister of training, colleges and universities, who called the results of the survey “heartbreaking and disturbing,” said the government will be doubling its Women's Campus Safety Grant for 2018-2019 to assist universities with their prevention strategies.

"We welcome that the province is recognizing the need to provide additional support for us in terms of the work we've been doing and the work we need to continue to do," said Welsh, who is also a member of the Council of Ontario Universities' reference group on sexual violence.

The government also said it is requiring public universities and colleges to report progress to their boards regarding measures related to supporting students who have experienced sexual violence and is expecting the institutions to review their sexual violence policies by September. Each public college and university in the province will be required to create a task force that is representative of each institution's diverse student population in order to tackle sexual violence on campus.

"The survey is really just one part of our work on sexual violence," said Welsh. "What the ministry has put forward is in line with what evidence suggests in terms of the need for us to use the data to bring together students, experts on campus, and administrators dealing with these issues to hold ourselves accountable and to make sure we're finding those initiatives that are going to help us do better at preventing sexual violence on our campuses."

The Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre can be reached at 416-978-2266 or by email.

Centre locations are:

U of T downtown Toronto campus
Gerstein Science Information Centre (Gerstein Library), Suite B139

��߲ݴ�ý Mississauga
Davis Building, Room 3094G

��߲ݴ�ý Scarborough
Environmental Science & Chemistry Building, EV141

Those who have experienced sexual violence can also call Campus Police to make a report at 416-978-2222 (St. George and U of T Scarborough) or 905-569-4333 (U of T Mississauga).

After-hours support is also available at Women's College Hospital Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Care Centre (416-323-6040), Scarborough Grace Sexual Assault Care Centre (416-495-2400), and Trillium Hospital Sexual Assault Care Centre (905-848-7100)

U of T student co-author of report on school-based sexual violence in Ghana

ullahnor — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 17:30:00 +0000

U of T student co-author of report on school-based sexual violence in Ghana

ullahnor Tue, 03/07/2017 - 12:30

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U of T PhD student Erin Aylward hopes that the Ghana government will take notice and the study will help lead to change (photo by Jennifer Kirschke via Flickr)

Elaine Smith

Author legacy

Elaine Smith

Topic

The extent of school-based sexual violence in Ghana has been documented for the first time in a report co-authored by U of T PhD student Erin Aylward.

The national study shows that:

56 per cent of female survey respondents and 37 per cent of male respondents had experienced sexual violence with most of these incidents (92 per cent and 91 per cent, respectively) occurring during the respondent’s school career
57 per cent of all cases took place during primary or junior high school
one in 11 girls, and one in 30 boys experienced sexual violence at the hands of a teacher or principal

“This is a massive issue that needs to be taken seriously,” says Aylward (photo at left), who was awarded a Trudeau Scholarship in 2015 that supports her research in political science. “Incredibly, for people working in the field, the numbers didn’t seem that shocking. There is a pretty clear need for leadership and for better accountability mechanisms.”

Aylward’s hope is that the Ghana government will take notice and the study will help lead to change.

She first learned of the issue when she worked as a gender advisor for Engineers Without Borders in Ghana after her master's degree. At the time, she discovered “that girls might even be expected to have sexual relations with relatives or family friends in exchange for school fees.”

“Anecdotally, it seemed the abuse was pervasive, but it was still a topic that wasn’t on most people’s radar,” Aylward said.

She went on to learn more about the issue of sexual violence in the schools during a U of T course on the sociology of sexuality in the Faculty of Arts & Science with Assistant Professor Hae Yeon Choo.

Aylward soon teamed up with Voto Mobile, a Ghana-based social enterprise, and the Gender Studies and Human Rights Documentation Centre, a leading Ghana women’s rights non-governmental organization. They put together a proposal for Cellphones Against Sexual Violence, a two-year pilot project that included a national survey delivered through mobile technology, a sexual violence hotline and a school-based program. Amplify Change, a fund devoted to sexual and reproductive health, stepped forward to provide the finances.

The survey results have garnered interest from NGOs in Ghana, as well as from the Australian embassy and the Canadian High Commission in Ghana.