About consent

Understanding Sexual Consent

When someone freely agrees to engage in a certain act, that’s consent. And consent is a non-negotiable part of sexual activity. At its most basic level, consent is about caring if another person wants to engage in sexual activity and respecting their decisions regarding their boundaries, needs, and wants.

There’s no such thing
There’s no such thing
as implied consent. Ever.

Anything but a clear,
Anything but a clear,
freely given,
ongoing YES,
ongoing YES,
means no.

It doesn’t matter what someone is wearing, if they are drinking or using drugs, if they are flirting, or if they are sexting. If they don’t freely agree, they do not consent.

Rape culture normalizes sexual violence, and perpetuates false and damaging ideas about sex. It reframes sexual violence as “nonconsensual sex”, suggesting that consent is optional.

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Age of Consent: An Overview

16 is the legal age of consent in Canada. However:

  • 16 and 17-year-olds cannot consent to sexual activity with someone with whom they have a “relationship of trust, authority, or dependency” or where there is “exploitation”. (For example: a coach, doctor, or teacher)
  • 14 or 15-year-olds can consent to sexual activity with someone who is less than 5 years older, but it cannot be a “relationship of trust, authority, or dependency” or where there is “exploitation”.
  • 12 or 13-year-olds can consent to sexual activity with someone who is less than 2 years older, but it cannot be a “relationship of trust, authority, or dependency” or where there is “exploitation”.
  • Under 12: cannot legally consent under any circumstance.