2017-0103
Title
Proclamation: "Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Financial Literacy Month"
Body
P R O C L A M A T I O N
WHEREAS, sexual assault and financial literacy are key issues for victims of domestic and sexual violence. Many victims of domestic violence, teen dating violence, and stalking are also the victims of rape and sexual assault; at the same time, one of the greatest barriers to escaping a pattern of abusive behavior is economics; and,
WHEREAS, rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment harm our community. Statistics show youth ages 12-17 were 2.5 times as likely to be victims of rape or sexual assault, one in four girls will experience a sexual assault before age 18, one in five women and one in 71 men will be raped at some point in their lives; and
WHEREAS, today's economy is exacerbating sexual assault, and, at the same time, it is limiting survivors options to get help. Financial Abuse is an invisible weapon. Ninety-nine percent of women who experience physical violence in a relationship also experience some form of economic abuse; abusers use finances as an invisible weapon to keep victims trapped in abusive relationships; and,
WHEREAS, the National Network to End Domestic Violence and the Allstate Foundation has teamed up to create a unique program that is helping survivors of abuse become financially literate and independent from those who continuously perpetrate abuse against them; and,
WHEREAS, the Allstate Foundation Purple Purse campaign is aimed at creating long-term safety and security for survivors through financial empowerment. The program ignites fundraising for hundreds of national, state, and local domestic violence organizations; and,
WHEREAS, the Metro Centers for Community Advocacy provides free and confidential services to women, children, and male survivors to enable families to regain their physical and emotional strength with the goal to provide assistance to anyone seeking help and this is accomplished through ...
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