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A resolution recognizing the month of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Nashville and Davidson County.
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WHEREAS, freedom from sexual assault is a basic human right; and
WHEREAS, sexual violence affects all people, regardless of geography, race, age, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or economic background; and
WHEREAS, Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) is an annual campaign to raise public awareness about sexual assault and educate communities on how to prevent sexual violence; and
WHEREAS, April 2023 marks the official 22nd anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month; and
WHEREAS, the theme of this year's Sexual Assault Awareness Month is "Drawing Connections: Prevention Demands Equity", and it calls on all individuals, communities, organizations, and institutions to change ourselves and the systems surrounding us to build racial equity and respect; and
WHEREAS, Denim Day is also a part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month campaign and will be recognized on Wednesday, April 26th this year; and
WHEREAS, the Denim Day campaign began in response to a 1999 Italian Supreme Court decision to overturn a rape conviction because the justices felt that the victim's tight jeans implied consent; and
WHEREAS, what started as a local campaign to bring awareness to sexual assault victim blaming has grown into a worldwide movement that asks communities to make a social statement with their fashion statement by wearing jeans on Denim Day as a visible means of protest against the misconceptions that surround sexual violence; and
WHEREAS, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC):
? More than 1 in 4 non-Hispanic Black women (29%) in the U.S. were raped in their lifetime; and
? More than 4 in 5 American Indian and Alaska Native women (84.3%) have experienced violence in their lifetime; and
? 1 in 3 Hispanic women (34.8%) reported unwanted sexual contact in their lifetime; and
? 32.9% of ...
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