[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 129, 114th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
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

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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.
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.

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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.
BARACK OBAMA