Partners Against Violence Kicks Off Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Updated: Mar 31
As part of the national 2023 “Drawing Connections: Prevention Demands Equity” campaign, Partners Against Violence joins the National Sexual Violence Resource Center in building racial equity and respect.
San Bernardino, Calif. Partners Against Violence joins the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) in commemorating the start of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) in April with their ‘Drawing Connections: Prevention Demands Equity’ campaign to call on all individuals, communities, organizations, and institutions to change ourselves and the systems surrounding us to build racial equity and respect.
Partners Against Violence encourages individuals and organizations to join them in their support of sexual assault survivors this month by participating in the many events they’re hosting this month. This includes:
SAAM Day of Action | Wear Teal Day Tuesday, April 4, 2023 Wear teal – the color of sexual violence prevention – to show that you support survivors and are a safe person to talk to if they need to reach out.
Equity In Action Day Wednesday, April 11, 2023 Take time to talk with your colleagues, friends, and family about what it means to lead with equity and flood social media with this message.
Denim Day Thursday, April 26, 2023 Wear jeans to take a stand against victim-blaming in honor of Denim Day.
SAAM Webinar Series: Intersectional Conversations Join us to discuss unique issues affecting sexual assault survivors with a panel of community partners.
Murdered & Missing Indigenous Women | Thursday, April 13, 2023, 3:00 PM
No Safe Place: Housing Inequities and Sexual Violence | Thursday, April 27, 2023, 3:00 PM
“We know that certain groups of people experience sexual violence at higher rates,” said Michelle Cates, Executive Director for Partners Against Violence. “It’s time to take action and work together to create the kind of equitable, respectful communities we want to live in.”
Here are some startling facts about sexual assault among marginalized populations:
More than 1 in 4 non-Hispanic Black women in the United States were raped in their lifetime
More than 4 in 5 American Indian and Alaska Native women have experienced violence in their lifetime
1 in 3 Hispanic women reported unwanted sexual contact in their lifetime
32.9 percent of adults with intellectual disabilities have experienced sexual violence
47 percent of all transgender people have been sexually assaulted at some point in their lives
The goal of SAAM is to raise public awareness about sexual violence, educate communities on how to prevent it and bolster prevention efforts throughout the year. “Drawing Connections” recognizes that it will take ending all forms of oppression to end sexual harassment, assault, and abuse. During this month-long campaign, NSVRC is making it clear that everyone can take ownership of this moment to build up their own understanding of the ways in which systems of oppression such as racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, ageism, ableism, and others contribute to higher rates of all types of sexual violence.
“We know that the sexual violence prevention movement still has a lot to do to make sure survivors of every background and demographic feel equitably represented in this field,” said Yolanda Edrington, Executive Director of NSVRC. “By using this month as an opportunity to learn about and discuss the structural and cultural barriers that impact survivors and communities, we believe that we can help impart lasting change to work toward a future of greater equity and respect.”
About Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM)
Since 2001, NSVRC has coordinated the national Sexual Assault Awareness Month campaign observed every April. This year’s theme is ‘Drawing Connections: Prevention Demands Equity.’ Join the campaign by accessing free resources at nsvrc.org/saam. Resources are available in Spanish at nsvrc.org/es/saam.
About Partners Against Violence
Partners Against Violence provides support for Survivors of sexual assault and violent crimes. All of our services are available at no cost to Survivors, their significant others, and family members. We are partners committed to building healthy relationships, families, communities, and generations that are free from violence.
Visit www.partnersagainstviolence.org to learn more and follow them on social media (@partnersagainstviolence).
Media Contact:
Michelle Cates
Executive Director
michelle.c@partnersav.org
(909) 885-8884