WHISE is thrilled to announce Yumi Stynes and Dr Melissa Kang will headline an engaging webinar on affirmative consent for practitioners, educators, and professionals working directly with families, children, and young people.
With the recent publication of books such as Welcome to Consent by Yumi Stynes and Dr Melissa Kang, and Vanessa Hamilton’s Talking Sex: A Conversation Guide for Parents, affirmative consent is being recognised as an important concept in fostering respectful relationships among young people.
The Victorian Government’s recent adoption of an affirmative consent model shifts the onus of proving consent onto perpetrators of sexual violence, rather than victim-survivors.
What is affirmative consent?
Affirmative sexual consent places the responsibility on every participant in a sexual encounter to actively communicate their consent through words or actions, ensuring that everyone involved consents to the sexual activity, rather than relying on the assumption of consent from others.
“We know that there are still ongoing and significant issues in our community around respectful relationships and intimate partner violence,” says Kit McMahon, CEO of Women’s Health in the South East.
“The way to address these issues is to provide clear, helpful information around sex and relationships, and this must include affirmative consent.”
The webinar will unpack the meaning of affirmative consent and its vital application in various fields of work. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of affirmative consent, ensuring they are well-equipped to promote safe, respectful relationships within their communities.
The webinar is aligned with the Consent Matters project, a partnership initiative funded by the Department of Families, Fairness, and Housing (DFFH). The project is a collaboration between Sexual Health Victoria and Women’s Health in the South East, with support from Women’s Health Loddon Mallee, Zoe Belle Gender Collective, Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health, Youth Affairs Council Vic, and other youth services.
Join us on 4 October to be a part of this important conversation and take a step towards creating a world where affirmative consent is not only understood but also actively practised.
For more information and to register for the event, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/discussing-affirmative-consent-with-yumi-stynes-and-dr-melissa-kang-tickets-709247868467
Our panel of experts includes:
Yumi Stynes is a writer, broadcaster, television presenter, food fanatic, fitness enthusiast and mother-of-four – including two teenage girls. Among her daily responsibilities she hosts an ABC podcast about women’s health called Ladies, We Need to Talk. The podcast focuses on female sexuality and social issues and is known for its directness and taboo-breaking conversations. Yumi presented an SBS documentary called ‘Is Australia Sexist?’, has given keynote speeches at Dark Mofo Festival of Dangerous Ideas, Department of Rural Health Sexual Health Conference, The Australian Women’s Leadership Symposium, One of One International Women’s Day Conference and was the fearless MC at the 2019 Women’s March in Sydney. She has written cookbooks and has co-authored the best-selling Welcome To series: Welcome to Your Period, Welcome to Consent, Welcome to Your Boobs and Welcome to Sex.
Most people know Dr Melissa Kang as the longest-serving expert behind the iconic Dolly Doctor column, but she’s also a practicing medical doctor for marginalised young people and has academic roles at the University of Technology Sydney and the University of Sydney. She is fifth-generation Malaysian-Chinese Anglo-Australian, which makes specialising in adolescent sexuality and sexual health all the more interesting. She continues to speak about these topics in the mainstream media.
Together with Yumi Stynes, she has co-authored books in their best-selling Welcome To series: Welcome to Your Period, Welcome to Consent, Welcome to Your Boobs and Welcome to Sex.
Vanessa Hamilton is a sexuality educator and founder of the education business ‘Talking the Talk Healthy Sexuality Education’, with over 25 years of experience as a registered sexual health nurse. She is a parent of 3 teens and an award-winning author, highly respected speaker, podcaster, blog writer and educator on human sexuality, consent, and respectful relationships. Vanessa has immersed herself in helping parents, teachers and health professionals understand human sexuality and, specifically, how it relates to children.
Jessie Tang is a dedicated Youth Support Practitioner on South East Community Link’s Youth Links Team. Jessie coordinates the Youth Leadership Group, Westall youth engagement programs, and the Affirmative Consent project. Born and bred in Melbourne’s south eastern suburbs, Jessie’s strong connection to community drives her passion for working with young multicultural individuals, striving to provide them with equal opportunities for positive outcomes. With a background in international development, youth, and gender-based violence prevention, she brings her expertise and human rights perspective to effect systemic change in her role at South East Community Links.
Anne Atcheson is an educator who has been working in the field of Relationships and Sexuality Education for over 10 years. Anne is the Acting Schools and Community Manager at Sexual Health Victoria (SHV). Anne has had the opportunity to work with an enormous range of schools, communities and organisations as well as develop teaching materials for the SHV everyBODY Education program. Anne is also the creator and host of the SHV podcast Doing ‘IT’.
