Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 65 / Monday, April 6, 2015 / Presidential Documents 18513 

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 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. 


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18514 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 65 / Monday, April 6, 2015 / Presidential Documents 

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. 

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. 

[FR Doc. 2015–08032 

Filed 4–3–15; 11:15 am] 

Billing code 3295–F5 


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