Governor Proclaims Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2022

WHEREAS, by definition, sexual violence is any unwanted sexual contact – both words and actions – including sexual assault, harassment, and abuse, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center; and

 

WHEREAS, Sexual Assault Awareness Month calls attention to the impact of sexual violence in communities across the state and nation, raising public awareness and educating communities on how to prevent it as well as how to support survivors; and

 

WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetimes; nearly 1 in 5 women and 1 in 38 men have experienced rape or attempted rape during their lifetimes; and

 

WHEREAS, according to the North Carolina Council for Women and Youth Involvement, between July 2020 and June 2021, North Carolina rape crisis centers provided remote or in-person services to 11,094 individuals including 2,364 children under the age of 18, and received 24,877 hotline calls; and

 

WHEREAS, Governor Roy Cooper issued an executive directive in October 2019 to support survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, which permits state employees in cabinet agencies to use earned leave for “safe days” to escape and recover from violence; and

WHEREAS, people who are part of marginalized communities or hold marginalized identities often are at higher risk for experiencing sexual violence and have more limited access to services that will support meaningful pathways to healing and justice; and

 

WHEREAS, the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault and rape crisis advocates across the state remain committed to ending sexual violence in our communities by continuing to be allies in all anti-oppression movements, realizing that we cannot truly end sexual violence without also ending all forms of oppression; and

 

WHEREAS, despite the pandemic and the challenges faced by rape crisis centers nationwide, our voices have power and should be used to support survivors and end sexual violence; by working together to support survivors, we can ensure access to support services during and after the pandemic; teach our friends, family, and community members about consent and other prevention methods to stop sexual violence before it happens; and always choose to believe survivors;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim April 2022, as “SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.