CALIFORNIA COALITION AGAINST SEXUAL ASSAULT WITH GABRIELLE UNION
http://www.calcasa.org/saam/media/announce2.doc
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT
Sarah Huoh, Weber Shandwick
310-407-6571
CALCASA, Actress Gabrielle Union, State Legislators
Kick Off Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Statewide Campaign Throughout April Provides Education,
Resources for Residents on Preventing Sexual Assault
SACRAMENTO, April 9, 2004 – The California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) and its network of 84 rape crisis centers and campus-based rape prevention programs and allied organizations and individuals, are hosting a number of activities throughout the month of April to commemorate Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). Actress Gabrielle Union, who is a sexual assault survivor, will help kick off SAAM activities at a press conference with CALCASA on Tuesday, April 13, at 12:30 p.m. in the Governor’s Press Room (Room 1190 at the State Capitol).
“Sexual assault continues to be a serious issue for our state and nation,” said Marybeth Carter, executive director of CALCASA. “There are an estimated 400,000 forcible rapes that occur in the United States each year and more than 10,000 that occur in California, yet sexual assault still persists as the ‘silent crime,’ since more than 70 percent of rapes are never reported to police. Building from the theme ‘Speak Out Against Sexual Violence,’ we hope to create a voice for survivors of sexual assault and send the message loud and clear during April that we must work together to end sexual violence.”
Beginning with a press conference on Tuesday, April 13, to dedicate the Sexual Assault Victim-Survivors’ Bench at the State Capitol’s World Peace Rose Garden in honor of the thousands of Californians who have survived the horrors of rape, incest, stalking or the many other crimes that constitute sexual violence, CALCASA’s member agencies will also host self-defense workshops, educational speakers, rallies and other symbolic events throughout the month. In addition to Gabrielle Union, other dignitaries scheduled to attend the April 13 event include Assembly Member Carol Liu, D-La Canada and Vice Chair of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, Assembly Member Judy Chu, D-Monterey Park, and Assembly Member Bill Maze, R-Visalia.
In addition to dedicating the Sexual Assault Victim-Survivors’ Bench, CALCASA will also release the California Campus Blueprint to Address Sexual Assault, the results of a study by the Governor-appointed California Campus Sexual Assault Task Force on the approaches and policies of California’s college campuses regarding sexual assault prevention, education and support services.
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Page 2/Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Additional activities for the month of April include:
Assembly Member Judy Chu is sponsoring the 2004 SAAM Resolution first passed in the State of California in 1997, officially recognizing April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in the state.
On Tuesday, April 20, “A Day to End Sexual Violence” is commemorated nationwide in recognition of the hundreds of thousands of women, men, girls and boys who are raped, sexually assaulted and sexually harassed every year. It is one of many events during April, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and aims to combat sexual assault by providing a single day in which all anti-sexual violence agencies, programs and coalitions across the country raise awareness about the need for sexual assault prevention and support services.
The following day, Wednesday, April 21, is Denim Day California. Thousands of Californians will don denim for the day to show support for victims of sexual assault and as a gesture to increase recognition for the need to devote resources to the prevention of sexual assault. A gathering will be held on the steps of the state capitol at noon in an expression of solidarity for victims of sexual violence.
Denim Day started five years ago in response to an Italian Supreme Court decision to overturn a rape conviction because the victim wore jeans. The justices reasoned that because the tight fitting clothing could not be easily removed without cooperation and were impossible to take off if someone were resisting, the assault must have been consensual. As a result, women worldwide protested the decision by wearing jeans – and on April 21 supporters will wear denim to acknowledge that coercion and force are inherent in rape and victims must not be the ones to bear the blame for this crime.
Local rape crisis centers and campus prevention programs will also be hosting a series of activities throughout the month to commemorate SAAM. A calendar of the various activities hosted by centers throughout the state is available at www.calcasa.org.
The California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) provides the unifying vision and voice to all Californians speaking out against sexual violence. Founded in 1980, CALCASA is the only statewide organization in California whose sole purpose is to promote public policy, advocacy, training and technical assistance on the issue of sexual assault. CALCASA’s primary membership is the 84 rape crisis centers as well as campus-based rape prevention programs in the state. For more information on CALCASA and the events and initiatives during SAAM or to participate in events throughout the state, please visit www.calcasa.org.