[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 65 (Monday, April 6, 2015)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 18513-18514]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-08032]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 65 / Monday, April 6, 2015 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 18513]]


                Proclamation 9249 of April 1, 2015

                
National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention 
                Month, 2015

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                As Americans, we each have the power to shape our 
                country's course and contribute to the extraordinary 
                task of perfecting our Union. For more than two 
                centuries, progress has been won by ordinary citizens--
                women and men who joined arms and marched toward 
                justice. This month, we are once again reminded that we 
                can change our culture for the better by standing 
                together against the quiet tolerance of sexual assault 
                and refusing to accept the unacceptable.

                Nearly one in five women in America has been a victim 
                of rape or attempted rape. Every year, too many women 
                and too many men are sexually assaulted and abused. 
                This is an affront to our basic decency and humanity, 
                and it must end. Sexual assault harms our communities, 
                weakens the foundation of our Nation, and hurts those 
                we love most. For survivors, the awful pain can take 
                years to heal--sometimes it never does. When an 
                individual's possibilities are limited by the scars of 
                violence and abuse, our country is deprived of enormous 
                potential. Sexual assault takes a collective toll on 
                all of us, and it is everyone's responsibility not only 
                to speak out, but also to take action against this 
                injustice.

                More than two decades ago, then United States Senator 
                Joe Biden did both. At a time when many victims were 
                stigmatized or left to suffer in silence, he authored 
                the Violence Against Women Act, which would forever 
                improve the way our country responds to sexual assault 
                and domestic violence. In the decades since, our Nation 
                has built on that progress. We have taken strides 
                toward changing the way people think about sexual 
                misconduct, making it clear that every person has the 
                fundamental human right to be free from sexual assault 
                and domestic violence.

                Thanks to the work of advocates, community leaders, 
                public servants, and courageous survivors who shared 
                their stories, our Nation has come an incredibly long 
                way. But from schools to military bases and throughout 
                all communities in America, we must do more to end the 
                crime of sexual assault. My Administration has made 
                this a priority since day one, beginning with the 
                establishment of the first-ever White House Advisor on 
                Violence Against Women. And we will keep fighting as 
                long as it takes.

                We have taken action to strengthen our criminal justice 
                system, uphold the civil rights of victims and 
                survivors of sexual assault, and ensure that all people 
                can live free from sexual violence. Now in its second 
                year, the White House Task Force to Protect Students 
                from Sexual Assault is helping schools live up to their 
                obligations to educate students in safe environments. 
                We continue to address the impact of sexual assault on 
                persons living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS. I have 
                also made clear that violence and abuse have no place 
                in the finest military this world has ever known. And 
                last fall, we launched the ``It's On Us'' campaign to 
                let people know everyone has a role to play in 
                preventing and effectively responding to sexual 
                violence.

[[Page 18514]]

                It's on parents and caregivers to teach their children 
                to respect and value others. It's on teammates, 
                classmates, and colleagues to recognize sexual 
                misconduct and intervene to stop it. It's on all of us 
                to work for the change we need to shift the attitudes 
                and behaviors that allow sexual assault to go 
                unnoticed, unreported, and unpunished. During National 
                Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, let us 
                commit to being part of the solution and rededicate 
                ourselves to creating a society where violence is not 
                tolerated, survivors are supported, and all people are 
                able to pursue their fullest measure of happiness 
                without fear of abuse or assault.

                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 2015 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.

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

[FR Doc. 2015-08032
Filed 4-3-15; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F5