Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2019
Original Art by Miriam Flores, Graphic Design by Jackie Goodman
Every April the Rape Recovery Center participates in Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), a nationwide effort to raise our collective consciousness around issues of sexual violence. This year, we are excited to offer a wide range of events to uplift consent and empower our communities. With offerings ranging from our Youth Art and Activism Contest, our Annual Let’s Get Consensual Bar Hop, and our Embodied through Movement workshop, we hope you will find something on our SAAM calendar that inspired you!
According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center this years theme, I Ask, “is the statement by which individuals will demonstrate that asking for consent is a healthy, normal, and necessary part of everyday interactions. I Ask is the statement by which we will uplift the importance of consent and transform it from being prescriptive to empowering. “
As our staff, volunteers and community partners reflected on what this years theme meant to us, we were overcome by the importance of the concept of uplifting consent as we continue to change the way our society views sexual violence and what it truly means to empower each other.
“I Ask encourages youth to consider what consent means to them, why it matters, and then express their voice and understanding through works of art, all while gaining skills and knowledge around the need to respect others and ask for consent. ”
“I Ask is about envisioning a world where every single individual is able to ask for what they need in their process. Whether that is healing from their own experience of sexual violence, learning about consent for the first time or working towards radical change for future generations. ”
“Asking someone before you do something that involves them is the ultimate preventative measure to assure safety; emotionally, intellectually, and physically. I take it upon myself to ask for consent for anything from, “can I hug you?” to “what are you seeking from this conversation (whether it is empathy, advice, my opinion, etc.)?”
You can see our full list of SAAM event here, and stay connected to us on social media for updates all month long.You will also find many exciting SAAM events from our partner agencies. The Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault is hosting their 6th annual Utah Sexual Violence Conference and PIK2R is hosting their 6th Annual National Pacific Islander Violence Prevention Conference. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center's website has excellent resources and information as part of their 2019 SAAM campaign, including guides on planning your own SAAM event!
However you decide to participate in SAAM, we hope you will find ways to uplift consent, and learn about how we can work together to end sexual violence in our communities.