Epress.am News from Armenia
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The goal of SAAM is to raise public awareness about sexual violence and to educate communities and individuals on how to prevent sexual violence. Around the world, different organizations and initiatives organize numerous events to raise awareness on sexual violence. In Armenia, the Women's Resource Center of Armenia and the Sexual Assault Crisis Center are the organizations spearheading this work.
According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) in the US: "Women’s organized protests against violence began in the late 1970s in England with Take Back the Night marches. These women-only protests emerged in direct response to the violence that women encountered as they walked the streets at night. These activities became more coordinated and soon developed into a movement…"
In the late 1980s, US state sexual assault coalitions were polled to determine when to have a national Sexual Assault Awareness Week. A week in April was selected.
"By the late 1990s, many advocates began coordinating activities and events throughout the month of April, advancing the idea of a nationally recognized month for sexual violence awareness and prevention activities," according to the NSVRC website.
The teal ribbon was adopted as a symbol of sexual assault awareness and prevention.
"So April is once again an opportunity to speak out loud about the existence of sexual violence, to separate the issues and help all those who have become victims of sexual violence," reads a statement issued by the two Armenian NGOs.
The list of events scheduled for this month can be viewed here.