By Cate McCurry, PA
A new online learning hub that provides information about sexual consent is to be made available for third level education.
The Department of Justice will fund the Active Consent research team at NUI Galway to create the online learning hub, and is partnering with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
The hub will improve the understanding of the meaning and importance of consent, the Department of Justice said.
It will contain material for students and staff in higher level institutions.
Ministers @SimonHarrisTD and @1Hildegarde are today launching a new online learning hub to improve sexual consent awareness. The initiative has been developed by the @ActiveConsent research team at @nuigalway to tackle sexual violence and harassment. pic.twitter.com/1P9ZdzlTh5
— Department of Further and Higher Education (@DeptofFHed) July 19, 2021
It will include a dedicated website with comprehensive resources which have already been developed by NUI Galway’s Active Consent research team, as well as newly designed resources specifically created for this project.
The new content will include eLearning resources on consent, video series, and training resources for advocates and young people.
The hub will provide an integrated, publicly available resource on sexual consent awareness and consent learning resources.
For higher education students, the programme available through the hub will have three levels including an online/live consent workshop; an eLearning resource on consent, sexual violence and harassment and ongoing social media engagement into topics such as disclosure.
Thank you to all who attended the launch of our consent hub in partnership with @DeptofFHed @DeptJusticeIRL, with special thanks to @SimonHarrisTD @1Hildegarde @GalwayRCC and NUIG president Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh for their support.
We are so excited for this new chapter to begin! pic.twitter.com/TKciyZ2wK7— Active* Consent (@ActiveConsent) July 19, 2021
Speaking at the launch, Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton said: “There can be no place for any forms of sexual violence and harassment in our society, and there can be no room for doubt or ambiguity on the meaning and importance of consent.
“We must improve people’s understanding of what consent is, and what healthy consent looks like. This initiative will be an excellent resource for the third level sector and beyond.
“It is an important commitment in Supporting a Victim’s Journey, the Department of Justice road map to improve the justice system for victims and vulnerable witnesses in sexual violence cases, and will contribute to our national campaign on consent later this year.”
