A Saskatchewan-wide awareness campaign targeting men and boys is confronting rape culture, patriarchal norms, and harmful constructions of masculinity, emphasizing their essential role in preventing gender-based violence.
Choose To See Campaign
Now in its fifth year, the Choose To See campaign is a collaborative effort from sexual assault centres in Saskatoon, Regina, and North Battleford. Throughout May, which is Sexual Violence Awareness Month, events and messaging will focus on unlearning toxic behaviours and fostering healthy relationships.
Morgan Price, education and outreach coordinator with the Saskatoon Sexual Assault and Information Centre (SSAIC), said sexual violence thrives in secrecy, and open discussion ensures it “dies in the sunlight.” According to the Government of Canada, 4.7 million women have been sexually assaulted since age 15.
Confronting the Manosphere
This year’s theme emphasizes unlearning, particularly how men and boys are socialized online to adopt violent behaviours. Price highlighted the “Manosphere,” an online culture that positions men as an “elite gender,” often pitting them against each other and pressuring them to perform harmful acts of perceived masculinity.
“This comes in the form of chat rooms. So we’ve seen things like the rape academy that came out of France a few weeks ago,” Price said, referencing a CNN report on a Telegram group where men discussed drugging and assaulting partners, sharing videos from a porn site with over 20,000 “sleep” content videos.
Looksmaxxing and Toxic Ideals
Price also pointed to “looksmaxxing,” an online culture pushing the message that “we are not enough in the way that we currently look.” This pursuit of the “perfect version of man” harms those who don’t fit the stereotype, don’t want to, or harm themselves in the process.
Upcoming Events
- Anonymous questionnaire for men and boys on gender roles and toxic masculinity
- Virtual training session “Deconstructing Rape Culture” on May 13
- Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event in North Battleford on May 14
- Community engagement in Regina on May 23
The campaign aims to deconstruct harmful online influences and promote consent, healthy relationships, and positive masculinity.
