[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 65 (Friday, April 4, 2014)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 18983-18984]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-07782]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 65 / Friday, April 4, 2014 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 18983]]


                Proclamation 9097 of March 31, 2014

                
National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention 
                Month, 2014

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Every April, our Nation comes together to renew our 
                stand against a crime that affronts our basic decency 
                and humanity. Sexual assault threatens every community 
                in America, and we all have a role to play in 
                protecting those we love most--our mothers and fathers, 
                our husbands and wives, our daughters and sons. During 
                National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, 
                we recommit to ending the outrage of sexual assault, 
                giving survivors the support they need to heal, and 
                building a culture that never tolerates sexual 
                violence.

                Thanks to dedicated activists and courageous survivors, 
                we have made strides in reducing stigma, opened new 
                shelters across our country, and given countless 
                Americans a new sense of hope. A driving force behind 
                much of this progress was the landmark Violence Against 
                Women Act. Last year, I was proud to sign legislation 
                that reauthorized and strengthened this law while also 
                extending protections for underserved communities.

                We have come a long way, but sexual violence remains an 
                all-too-common tragedy. Today, an estimated one in five 
                women is sexually assaulted in college. This is 
                unacceptable. Because college should be a place where 
                everyone can safely and confidently pursue their 
                talents, I launched the White House Task Force to 
                Protect Students from Sexual Assault. And because our 
                Nation's backlog of rape kits means offenders may be 
                free to strike again, I have proposed funding for 
                coordinated community teams to address this problem. My 
                Administration is working to stop sexual assaults 
                wherever they occur, in both the civilian community and 
                the Armed Forces. Together, we will continue to 
                strengthen the criminal justice system, develop trauma-
                informed services, reach out to survivors, and focus 
                aggressively on prevention.

                Sexual assault is more than just a crime against 
                individuals. When a young boy or girl withdraws because 
                they are questioning their self-worth after an assault, 
                that deprives us of their full potential. When a parent 
                struggles to hold a job in the wake of a traumatic 
                attack, the whole family suffers. And when a student 
                drops out of school or a service member leaves the 
                military because they were sexually assaulted, that is 
                a loss for our entire Nation.

                This month, let us recognize that we all have a stake 
                in preventing sexual assault, and we all have the power 
                to make a difference. Together, let us stand for 
                dignity and respect, strengthen the fabric of our 
                communities, and build a safer, more just world.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim April 2014 as 
                National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. 
                I urge all Americans to support survivors of sexual 
                assault and work together to prevent these crimes in 
                their communities.

[[Page 18984]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
                eighth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2014-07782
Filed 4-3-14; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F4