Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2022
Every April the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) coordinates the national Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) campaign. SAAM has always been about both awareness and prevention. Advocates fought for widespread public discussion around the once taboo topic of sexual assault because it’s impossible to stop an issue that no one knows about.
This advocacy has taken place over decades, beginning with the opening of the first Rape Crisis Center in Oakland, California in 1971. Then, in 1994, the passing of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) strengthened protections for sexual assualt victims and required that it be treated as a crime rather than a “private matter.” In 2001, the NSVRC launched the first SAAM and in 2009, President Barack Obama became the first president to officially declare April Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
And the work continues today. Last April, I wrote a similar blog post reflecting on the work the Vermont legislature was doing around bill H.183 and I am pleased to report that in June 2021 that bill was signed into law by Governor Scott providing the vital clarification in sexual assault law that a person who is asleep, unconscious, or substantially impaired by intoxicants cannot consent to sexual activity.
This year, the NSVRC is continuing their work from 2021 uplifting the message “We Can Build Safe Online Spaces Together” with a call to action to build on this vision “Building Safe Online Spaces Together.” We all know that, especially now, so much of how we connect with romantic partners, friends, family, and colleagues is in the digital sphere. If you, like me, hadn’t spent much conscious thought on how to make the virtual spaces you inhabit safe, then I would encourage you to take time this month to do so. Visit the NSVRC website or check out the #30DaysOFSAAM Challenge on social media to learn more. When we know better, we can do better. The invitation this April is “making respect the norm everywhere, taking action to promote the safety of others, and showing survivors they are believed and supported.”
For more information go to nsvrc.org or call one of WomenSafe’s free and confidential advocates at (802) 388-4205.
Chelsea Colby
WomenSafe Board Co-Chair
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