April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Even before Sexual Assault Awareness month became official in the early 2000s, there was both awareness and prevention of sexual violence, harassment and the abuse. The campaign shifted to prevention and organizations actively started promoting awareness with tool kits across the country.
In 2009, Barack Obama was the first president to officially proclaim April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. It’s impossible to prevent an issue no one knows about, and it’s difficult to make people aware of a problem without providing a solution. The following decades mobilized survivors and advocates to call for legislation and funding that would support survivors, such as the Violence Against Women Act of 1993.
These big changes like VAWA viewed national efforts to promote sexual violence awareness and education. Statistics show assaults committed against American Indians and Alaska Natives show one out of three have been violated either by sexual or domestic violence.
There is a need for increasing awareness and a call for adequate and culturally appropriate responses to sexual assault in tribal communities.
During this month, there are various events that can held to promote awareness. One includes doing a proclamation from tribal leadership.
View NWSGP Resources https://www.nativewomenssociety.org/resources