On Consent
If we normalise talking about the positive aspects of sex then it’s a lot easier for children and teens to understand if they want to be in a situation or not.
I want you to know that you can trust your instincts. If your instincts are saying this is not good, trust that. You might not be able to explain why and you don’t have to. It is never too late to call stop on that action, there is no point when you cannot call stop – you have the right to say no.
For as long as women have sought autonomy over their bodies, those in positions of power have dismissed them as hormonal, hysterical, irrational and crazy. But now that dialogues around consent have infiltrated our newsfeeds, our classrooms, our workplaces and even the corridors of Parliament, we may have reached a tipping point. To create real social change, it’s important we demystify the challenges around seeking consent and determining our personal boundaries and believe it or not, that doesn’t have to be awkward... Hear activist Chanel Contos, author and broadcaster Yumi Stynes and journalist Avani Dias in a conversation that is curious and unapologetic as we learn how to navigate the yes, no and everything in between.
If you'd like to purchase Yumi's book, Welcome to Consent head here. For additional UNSW resources and information on consent and sexual misconduct, visit here.
Presented by the UNSW Centre for Ideas and UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture as part of Social Sciences Week 2021.
Chanel Contos
Chanel Contos is an activist, tutor and student undertaking a Masters of Education, Gender and International Development and International Global Studies at the University College of London. Chanel entered the public domain in February 2021 after seeding the Teach Us Consent movement which has inspired a national conversation around the lack of consent education in schools. She has collected over 6,500 personal testimonies of sexual abuse and over 40,000 signatures demanding education reform. Her activism and collaboration with schools, police and parliamentary officials, has driven change across Australian states in the reform of sexuality education, legislative change and resource reallocation, and she is currently establishing an international organisation to reduce structural barriers to gender inequality.
Yumi Stynes | Chairperson
Yumi Stynes is a broadcaster and writer who's been working in Australian media for almost two decades, evolving from music reporter to her current focus as a writer on arts, culture, food, gender politics and human sexuality. She’s known for her honesty, warmth and humour.
Like many women, Yumi is juggling — she does a daily radio show, works on several writing projects (two cookbooks, Zero F**ks and Zero F**ks Endless Summer, Welcome to Your Period, and most recently Welcome to Consent), and regularly runs 5km for a laugh — all while raising four children. She fronts Ladies, We Need to Talk, the popular podcast with ABC Audio Studios and was the host of the award-winning documentary Is Australia Sexist? on SBS television.
Yumi is an accomplished MC, facilitator and speaker; recent events include Melbourne Writers Festival, Sydney Women's March, She Leads Conferences, Art After Hours at AGNSW, Rural Sexual Health Conference and Women in Leadership Symposium.
In 2021, Yumi presented The 3pm Pickup, spoke at the All About Women Festival and published in the Guardian Australia.
Avani Dias
Avani Dias is the host of Australia's national current affairs show for young people, Hack on triple j which broadcasts to millions of people around the country. Avani has interviewed the country's leaders, some of the world's biggest thinkers, and reported on and investigated major stories. Avani has been a Walkley Awards finalist four times and has been recognised with a number of other journalistic accolades. She was previously a multiplatform reporter for ABC News across TV, radio and online in Sydney and Darwin.
