ABSTRACT
From protests and op-eds about the first ever consent workshop in Ireland in 2016 to a National Consent Framework in 2020, Ireland has rapidly developed its approach to consent education. While some may argue that there is no need to have consent education, data from the Active* Consent Sexual Experiences Survey (2020) found that 29% of women, 10% of men, and 28% of non-binary third level students reported non-consensual penetration by incapacitation, force, or threat of force. Since Active* Consent began delivering consent workshops, almost 64,000 students have participated, thus empowering a sizeable part of the Irish student population to develop their consent literacy skills. While initial consent workshops were delivered in person, consent education has become more nuanced and accessible to different learning styles, genders, and sexualities. From drama productions to e-learning modules, this chapter highlights some of these initiatives and explores what the future of consent education in Ireland could look like. The use of textiles and social media as mechanisms in expanding consent education is investigated. Fabric can be a revolutionary tool for social change, and this chapter explores how it can be used to empower students to become agents of change on their campus.
