08/26/2026
Prevention starts with listening.
Girls are often taught how to protect themselves from sexual violence. But what happens when the responsibility for preventing violence is placed on them?
Professor Mythili Rajiva of the Faculty of Social Sciences’ Institute of Feminist and Gender Studies is examining how the possibility of sexual violence shapes girls’ everyday lives — and why prevention needs to take their voices, experiences and knowledge seriously.
Her research calls for a shift away from victim-blaming and toward addressing the broader structures that shape vulnerability, while recognizing that there is no single experience of girlhood or safety.
Research like this helps us better understand complex social issues and contributes to more informed approaches to education, policy and prevention.
🔗 Discover the research: https://www.uottawa.ca/en/news-all/sexual-violence-prevention-starts-listening-girls-uottawa-researcher-says?utm_source=Cyberimpact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Gazette-EN-2026-08-07
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