[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 130, 114th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
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.

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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.
BARACK OBAMA