PUBLIC POLICY

PUBLIC POLICY

 Activities in our branch: Sharon Heck, Paula Ocampo and Margo Reeg are registered to participate in Lobby Day on April 9. The mandatory training on the 3 chosen bills is Monday, March 31 at 7 pm by ZOOM. We will learn when our appointments are later in March.

Prepare for Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April

by Claire Noonan, AAUW CA Public Policy Committee

Sexual assault violence prevention calls for the creation of safer communities. Addressing the root causes of this kind of violence is difficult as it involves a multipronged approach, including improving street and housing conditions, providing education, and offering support services. We should work to advance policies at workplaces and schools, discuss sexual assault and its consequences with friends and family, and prioritize prevention in our communities.

Official channels for raising awareness about sexual assault violence and creating and implementing the policies needed for prevention has a long history in the United States; however, given the current administration’s attack on “DEI,” much of this work is now under threat of being dismantled.

Violence awareness began officially when the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) became law in 1984, providing the primary federal funding for domestic violence victims and their children via emergency shelters and related assistance. The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), passed by Congress in 1994, is comprehensive federal legislation to end violence against women. In 2001, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center coordinated the first national Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), building on years of advocacy and awareness-building. In 2009, President  Barack Obama officially declared April to be Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which presidents have proclaimed by every year since then.

As part of this wider federal push, awareness-raising and prevention efforts around sexual assault violence have been more firmly embedded in core policies and practices. For instance, the Department of Defense has been trying to create a culture to eliminate sexual assault, requiring a personal commitment from all Service members. Educational institutions have benefitted as well: the final Title IX revisions in April 2024 by President Joe Biden reflected the stronger shift to prevent assault actions on school campuses. These revisions also sought to protect more people, expanding the definition of “sex-based harassment” to include harassment based on sex characteristics, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex stereotypes, and pregnancy. At the state level, In September 2024 Governor Newsom signed eight bills on domestic violence. The legislation created a new victims’ services fund using penalties from white-collar crimes and expanded the ability of victims to access restraining orders.

While all of this movement has been positive, by the second week of President Donald Trump’s current administration, the Office of Management and Budget had ordered a freeze of all federal financial assistance in all agencies including those that oversee government programs and funding for organizations that provide domestic violence and sexual assault services, such as Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control, and the Department of Justice. Multiple court orders have blocked the freezes from taking effect, but in some cases funds haven’t been received for programs aimed at preventing sexual violence.

In addition, the current Administration has attacked the Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services and the Office on Violence Against Women, who must now disclose information that may further eliminate funding and resources, such as whether grants are being used to support “removable or illegal aliens or immigrants;” to “promote gender ideology;” or to advance “illegal DEI” programs–although at the time of writing, early challenges have signaled that enforcement of these provisions and denial of funding may be unconstitutional.

As individuals and non-profit organizations, we can contact our Congressmembers and state officials to back efforts to get the money flowing to relevant organizations and programs that raise awareness of and prevent sexual assault violence.

We can also act in our local communities to reduce sexual assault violence. We can ask to improve lighting to make streets and other public spaces safer. We can make sure our city, county, and public health officials promote policies for families and children, address economic security, and provide access to safe, stable housing. We can collaborate with community-led organizations that coordinate resources and services that help with trauma, mental health and substance use, all of which lead to sexual abuse. (from CDC-Violence Prevention)

Overall, we can all work to support the organizations country-wide that are on the front lines of dealing with sexual assault violence. Click here for downloadable free materials to share from the Domestic Violence Awareness Project.

What Can You Do?

  • contact Congressmembers and state officials to back efforts to get the money flowing to relevant organizations and programs that raise awareness of and prevent sexual assault violence;
  • act in our local communities to reduce sexual assault violence through improving lighting, promoting policies for families and children, address economic security, and help coordinate trauma resources
  • support the organizations country-wide that are on the front lines of dealing with sexual assault violence
  • share resources from the Domestic Violence Awareness Project

Margo Reeg

Public Policy Chair