Join us Wednesday, May 7th as the AVA Webinar Series presents Sexual Violence in Intimate Partner Violence – Legal Frameworks and Support Strategies with Kira Snodgrass and Mary Valenzuela from Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse.
Wednesday, May 7th, 2025
12 – 1:30pm MST
Sexual violence is a critical but often overlooked aspect of intimate partner violence (IPV). This session explores the evolution of sexual assault laws in Canada, consent within committed relationships, and the intersection of domestic and sexual violence. Participants will also learn how to recognize and support individuals experiencing intimate partner sexual violence with trauma-informed approaches.
About the Speakers
Kira Snodgrass is a Sexual Violence Educator with Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse (CCASA). Kira has a diploma in Child & Youth Care from Lethbridge College, and a Bachelor of Health Sciences in Addictions Counselling from the University of Lethbridge. Having always had the desire to work with those impacted by sexual violence, Kira’s passion for the work deepened when she began working as a sexual violence support counsellor in Lethbridge. Upon her relocation to Calgary, she was excited to join CCASA, with the same role. Her frontline experience on both the Lethbridge & Calgary Sexual Assault Response Teams has given her a unique perspective and understanding of the varying levels of impact sexual violence can have. Having a variety of facilitation opportunities over the years, Kira found an unexpected love for providing education and training. Her role as a Sexual Violence Educator has allowed her the opportunity to follow her passion of providing education and training on topics related to sexual violence, and providing support to those who have been impacted by sexual violence when aiding on our Support & Information Line, as well as on CSART. Through her role as Sexual Violence Educator, Kira has also become a Certified Facilitator of First Responder to Sexual Assault & Abuse Training (FRT) through Alberta Association of Sexual Assault Services (AASAS).
Mary Valenzuela is a Sexual Violence Educator with Calgary Communities against Sexual Abuse (CCASA). Mary’s background is in Sociology and in Women & Gender Studies. She has been a sexual violence educator at CCASA for over a year and has been a program facilitator for various non-profit organizations across the city for over six years. Mary’s work as a sexual violence educator has amplified her passion for providing safe spaces for people to share their story and diverse experiences without the fear of judgement, as well as have conversations on difficult, but extremely important topics. Prior to working at CCASA, Mary worked as a Youth and Civic Engagement facilitator for newcomer and immigrant youth at the Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association. This experience allowed Mary to meet some of the most amazing youth in the community who had immense passion for making changes in society and empowering other immigrant youth. Mary also worked as a community educator at the YouthLink Calgary Police Interpretive Centre where she educated and empowered youth to create crime-free communities through education on important topics. Mary’s experience working with youth and adults in the non-profit sector has ignited her passion for creating change through education. Mary believes that through education and dialogue, people learn to see issues, which may not be impacting them, from a whole new perspective. She believes that the more people spread awareness on important topics and engage people in meaningful discussions, then the more steps we move forward in creating the change in our community.