[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 5, 2016)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 19855-19856]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-07960]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 65 / Tuesday, April 5, 2016 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 19855]]


                Proclamation 9414 of March 31, 2016

                
National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention 
                Month, 2016

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                At our country's core is a basic belief in the inherent 
                dignity of every person. Too many women and men of all 
                ages suffer the outrage that is sexual assault, and too 
                often, this crime is not condemned as loudly as it 
                should be. Together, we must stand up and speak out to 
                change the culture that questions the actions of 
                victims, rather than those of their attackers. As their 
                relatives, friends, neighbors, and fellow Americans, 
                it's on us to support victims and survivors by 
                providing them with the care they need, bringing 
                perpetrators to justice, and ensuring our institutions 
                are held responsible and do not look the other way. 
                This month, we reaffirm our commitment to shift the 
                attitudes that allow sexual assault to go unanswered 
                and unpunished, and we redouble our efforts to prevent 
                this human rights violation from happening in the first 
                place.

                Preventing sexual assault begins with everyone getting 
                involved in promoting healthy relationships and 
                encouraging respect for the equality of others. For 
                decades, Vice President Joe Biden has brought unmatched 
                passion to this cause, working to pass the Violence 
                Against Women Act in the Senate more than two decades 
                ago, and continuing to fight today to transform the way 
                we think and talk about sexual assault. In 2014, we 
                launched the ``It's On Us'' campaign--an initiative 
                that has worked with over 300 college campuses and 
                engaged hundreds of thousands of people around our 
                country who have taken a pledge to stand up and speak 
                out to express moral outrage for this intolerable 
                crime. We launched the White House Task Force to 
                Protect Students from Sexual Assault that year as well, 
                which continues to offer recommendations for how we can 
                all contribute to a society that adequately prevents 
                and responds to sexual assault.

                My Administration is taking action to eliminate sexual 
                assault in every corner of our country. This year, we 
                announced new grants available for the National Sexual 
                Assault Kit Initiative, a nationwide, community-based 
                effort to end the backlog of untested rape kits--
                instrumental tools used to collect evidence, prosecute 
                perpetrators, and bring closure to victims in the 
                aftermath of an assault. These funds are supporting 
                efforts to ensure victims are notified of the testing, 
                connected to support services, and given the option of 
                participating in the criminal justice process. 
                Additionally, we have offered new tools and resources 
                to help States and communities take advantage of the 
                best available measures to prevent sexual violence. The 
                Department of Justice issued new guidance for law 
                enforcement on identifying and preventing gender bias 
                in response to sexual assault and domestic violence. 
                And I have directed military leadership to prioritize 
                this issue and equip our men and women in uniform with 
                the knowledge and tools necessary to combat sexual 
                violence. From our military to our schools, and in law 
                enforcement agencies in communities across America, we 
                will keep working to address sexual violence and root 
                it out wherever it exists.

[[Page 19856]]

                Anyone can be a leader in the fight to prevent and end 
                sexual assault. As employers, educators, parents, and 
                friends, all Americans have an obligation to uphold the 
                basic principle that every individual should be free 
                from violence and fear. During National Sexual Assault 
                Awareness and Prevention Month, we recommit to 
                embracing each of our individual responsibilities to 
                keep our communities safe from this crime and to stand 
                with survivors and victims of sexual 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 2016 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 
                thirty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and fortieth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2016-07960
Filed 4-4-16; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F6-P