Join us for a very special episode of our podcast Peace by Piece, where we chat with law students Catherine Avrutin and Anna Shin, as well as supervising attorney Anju Fujioka, to talk about memory loss, trauma, intoxication, and sexual assault trials. How does memory loss and trauma impact a trial? What biases around intoxication might show up for the judge or jury? What do survivors need to know about moving through a legal process? You won’t want to miss this one!

Today’s episode I have the honour of talking with Ro, Vida and Jashen on what it means to be black, past, present, future. No one experience can represent a full group, but today they were generous in sharing what it means to them to be black in Canada and why black history month (still) matters. Linking black oppression and gender-based violence, naming specific changes needed, and offering concrete books & thinkers to follow, this conversation is one you will want to add to your...

BDSM can be so much more than what you do in the bedroom. Kink can be playful, supportive, intimate, liberating, and community-based. Our Host AnnaLise talks to Mx Eve and Dreamy about the expansiveness of kink and its connection to queerness and queer spaces.

Contrary to popular belief, the A in LGBTQIA+ does not stand for ally. In our hyper-sexualized world that puts romance on a pedestal, asexuality and aromanticism are frequently forgotten and misunderstood. Join us as we chat with Heidi about queerplatonic relationships, couple’s privilege, and the challenges and joys of being aro/ace.

Have you ever wondered about polyamory? In this episode I chat with Jacob about polyamory and the abundance of love that is possible when we step off the relationship escalator and build intentional relationships with respect, openness, and lots of communication.

July is Pride in London! Pieces of Pride is a special mini season of our Peace by Piece podcast where we’ll be talking about who is included in Pride, who gets left out, and why. Whose identities are made palatable by mainstream narratives, and whose are excluded, disparaged, or just plain ignored? This first episode is a conversation between host AnnaLise and her wife, Holly. They discuss how we’ve had marriage equality for almost two decades now, have by many measures achieved gay...

Abortion has been legal in Canada for more than 30 years but it is still a strangely taboo topic in our culture.  Robyn Schwarz, a local activist for reproductive justice in SW Ontario, offers us a practical understanding of Canadian abortion laws, and the realities of navigating reproductive healthcare in our current culture. An open conversation that supports informed decision making for us as individuals and as advocates for accessible healthcare. Content warning: this episode discusses...

When we witness gender-based violence it can be tricky to know how to respond, even when we really want to help.  Using the 5 D’s of Bystander Intervention, this episode offers practical tools to help identify when and how to respond in a way that is safe and supportive.  We all have a part to play in creating a culture of accountability that doesn’t tolerate acts of gender based violence.

Content warning: this episode contains references to sexual assault from the perspective of a perpetrator We cannot end sexual violence without working with those who cause harm, the perpetrators themselves. In this episode, our host Dr AnnaLise Trudell has a raw and at times emotional conversation with a man who has perpetrated sexual violence. Using Mia Mingus’s four-part model of accountability, they discuss the ongoing process of self reflection, what apology and repair looked like it in...

Content warning: this podcast contains references to sexual assault. May is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) and this can’t be missed episode will help you gain a better understanding of the issue, the causes and the prevention tactics that work (and those that don’t). 1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men will be sexually assaulted at some point in their lives. If you need help, we’re here for you. Call our 24/7 Crisis and Support Line: 519-642-3000

Period, that time of the month, on the rag… whatever you call it, menstruation is when the lining of the uterus sheds and leaves the body through the vagina. While everyone who menstruates will experience it in their own way, each face many layers of inequity simply because they menstruate (hint – it’s way more than financial). Rachel Ettinger (she/her), is the founder and advocate of Here for Her, a social enterprise that focuses on menstruation education and awareness. We talk about why...

Rape fantasies or ravishment fantasies involve acting out “non-consensual” sex (in a way that everyone has consented to). Are they normal? YES! Many people have them, of all genders. We talk about what ravishment fantasies are (consensual) and what they are not (harmful) and address some of the shame we may feel around having such desires. We leave you with some helpful tips and tricks to safely explore power play with consent communication. Disclaimer: At Anova, we support a world without...

From “woke” to mainstream, the practice of offering your pronouns and respecting those of others still has its critics. This episode will skill you up for when you hear “we have gone too far” (insert eyeroll). Matthew Sereda (He / Him), Thames Valley District School Board’s Learning Coordinator for Equity and Inclusive Education (@MatthewSereda @TVDSBEquity), tells us how pronouns are being supported within the school system, the challenges with this work and what’s at stake if we don’t do...

Embracing differences, learning to rethink weaknesses and strengths, inter-generational trauma and more. We are unpacking Encanto and telling you why we think this is a must see for kids (and adults)!

It's our last podcast of the year and you won’t want to miss it! Our guest is Joe Antone, the clinical lead for Biigajiiskaan: Indigenous Pathways to Mental Wellness, a program run in partnership between Atlohsa Family Healing Services and Parkwood Mental Health Institute. Joe talks openly about cultural safety for indigenous staff and how racism shows up in the workplace. Joe leave us with many concrete examples of actions to take in creating workplaces that feel safe and welcoming to...

This week we are talking sex work and addressing the myths and misconceptions about who does sex work and why, with Rosie Cheeks.  Importantly, sex work entails a diversity of experiences and it’s difficult to frame sex work as inherently harmful or inherently liberating. Today’s conversation with Rosie offers insight and challenges many of our own biases about sex work. Rosie has been an online sex worker since 2019 and finds joy and creative fulfillment in their work. Anova believes that...

Today, we are talking homelessness with housing stability & health equity researcher and professor at Western University, Abe Oudshoorn, RN, PhD. We start by defining what homelessness is, what causes it and explain how it is gendered. Abe provides us some insight on how women and nonbinary individuals are driven to homelessness for a variety of reasons, such as gender-based violence, and how they experience homelessness differently and exit it differently. We talk about strategies to end...

November is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. When most people hear the words “abuse” or “domestic violence,” they think of physical or sexual violence. But the truth is, it can manifest in many other ways – ways that are difficult to recognize. On this bonus episode of Peace by Piece, Anova’s Public Education Coordinator, Allison Preyde talks about abuse and unhealthy relationship dynamics, and lists 8 red flags to keep a lookout for.

This week, we are talking about sexual harassment in the workplace. Our guest is lawyer and staunch advocate for justice, Susan Toth. Susan is a partner at the law firm of Polishuk, Camman & Steele and teaches courses related to the law at Brescia University College and Western University. Her advocacy work continues outside of courtrooms and classrooms as a board member of the Urban League of London and the Chair of the London Police Services Board. We begin by defining what sexual...

What do you do when someone tells you that they’ve experienced sexual violence? Get ready to skill up! Anova’s Public Education Coordinator, Allison Preyde is back on the podcast with disclosure training. We are walking you through an effective three-step response to disclosures and answer your questions about what is helpful, what is harmful and why. If you’re interested in learning more about disclosure training or would like to schedule a training, please email [email protected]

It’s our season two premiere! We talk about what survivors can expect when going through the justice system, practical knowledge for those who want system change and why less than 10% of survivors of sexual assault pursue legal action. Our guest is Karen Bellehumeur, a former Anova board member and experienced lawyer who represents survivors in criminal cases and in human rights claims for sexual assault and harassment. She is living proof that not all hero’s wear capes. A note to our...

It’s our last guest of the season! We talk to lawyer and activist Naomi Sayers about how to create change with a specific lens on utilizing the law, personal stories and the media. You can expect some pretty great takeaways from this conversation. Naomi Sayers is a lawyer with extensive experience in advising a range of entities and governments on privacy issues, Indigenous rights and governance issues.  Naomi is recognized nationally and internationally for her advocacy work around sex...

In this episode, we chat with Anova’s Public Education Coordinator Allison Preyde. We all know that understanding consent is an important life skill, but teaching it to young children can be difficult. Allison gives us some concrete skills and guidance. Interested in learning more? A Caregiver’s Guide to Teaching the ABCs of Consent provides caregivers with the tools necessary to teach, model, and support kids as they come to know themselves and live in harmony with others from infancy...

We are joined today by the amazing Elana Johnson. Elana is a fierce advocate for midwives and her work in having midwifery recognized, funded and fairly compensated is nothing short of inspiring. We talk with Elana about how the field of midwifery has changed over the trajectory of her career and discuss why perinatal care is important.