“Consent is not permanent and can be withdrawn at any time,” stressed Parliamentary Secretary for Equality and Reform, Rebecca Buttigieg, during an event organised as part of the Commission on Gender-Based Violence campaign at the University of Malta. She added that these awareness campaigns are strengthening our society’s fight to raise awareness about this social scourge and to send a clear message that love does not hurt.
This awareness campaign, launched by the Parliamentary Secretariat for Equality and Reforms through the Commission on Gender-Based Violence, stresses the importance of consent. The main aim of the campaign is to disseminate as much information as possible about the significance of consent in everyday life, especially in intimate relationships.
A discussion with University of Malta students, held on Valentine’s Day, was the highlight of the campaign. Several students and academics expressed their thoughts on the themes of communication, respect and free choice of the person, both in intimate and sexual relationships as well as in social and digital contexts.
During the discussion, which had the theme ‘Let’s Talk About Consent’, the Commissioner for Gender-Based Violence and Domestic Violence, Samantha Pace Gasan, together with several other participants, presented the key principles of consent. These included how one should communicate and respect the choices of other people and what consequences can occur if consent is not respected.
The campaign builds on previous initiatives such as the national campaign for the 16th Day of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, ‘We Stand Together. We Succeed Together’. Its aim is to raise public awareness of how the practice of consent ensures that a person’s dignity and choices are respected without manipulation, threats, force or other forms of abuse.
Meanwhile, during another activity, the Commission invited members of parliament to join forces in preventing gender-based and domestic violence. During this activity, Valentine’s Day-themed cards were distributed, reminding them that consent is the foundation of a healthy relationship.
Photo (DOI/OPM_EES)
