April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM)! |
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PSG staff rocked jeans for Denim Day! |
Denim Day is recognized each year in April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). It commemorates an act of resistance led by women in the Italian Parliament in response to an unjust ruling made in a 1999 sexual assault case. A 45-year-old driving instructor was convicted of sexually assaulting his female student, but the conviction was later overturned by a judge who argued that because the young woman was wearing tight jeans, she must have helped her perpetrator remove them and, therefore, consented. Learn more here.
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While Project Safeguard is known for our work serving survivors of domestic violence, we also support people who have experienced sexual assault, and we understand the intersections of these issues. When considering the power and control tactics used in relationships where abuse is present, it is no surprise that sexual violence is also frequently occurring. Many people who experience sexual violence within the context of intimate partner abuse do not talk about this form of abuse, and may not even realize that it is an abusive behavior. The following statistics from the The National Domestic Violence Hotline help shed light on this issue:
- Estimates suggest 13% of women and 6% of men will experience sexual coercion (unwanted sexual penetration after being pressured in a non-physical way) in their lifetime; 27.2% of women and 11.7% of men experience unwanted sexual contact.
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More than half of female victims of rape reported being raped by an intimate partner.
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1 in 6 college women (16%) has been sexually abused in a dating relationship.
Members of the LGBTQ community are impacted by sexual violence at even higher rates than straight folks, as illustrated by the Human Rights Campaign:
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46 percent of bisexual women have been raped, compared to 17 percent of straight women and 13 percent of lesbians.
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22 percent of bisexual women have been raped by an intimate partner, compared to 9 percent of straight women.
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40 percent of gay men and 47 percent of bisexual men have experienced sexual violence other than rape, compared to 21 percent of straight men
- The 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey found that 47% of transgender people are sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime.
We also know that BIPOC communities are disproportionately impacted by sexual violence and the intersection of marginalized identities increases the risk that someone will experience sexual violence. While limited data is available on the rates of sexual violence in indigenous communities, the prevalence is high, incidents are under-reported, and prosecution rates are extremely low. These statistics from VAWnet provide a snapshot of the problem:
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American Indians are 2.5 times more likely to experience sexual assault crimes compared to all other races.
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34 percent of Native women are raped in their lifetimes.
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According to a 2010 GAO Study, U.S. Attorneys declined to prosecute 67 percent of sexual abuse, firearms violations, homicide and other violent crimes occurring in the lives of Native American women.
Project Safeguard strives to approach our work from an intersectional lens and consider the ways in which gender-based violence disproportionately impacts marginalized communities. While Sexual Assault Awareness Month is almost over, the issue persists all year long and we are here for survivors who need support utilizing the civil legal system to increase their safety.
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Race day is 3 weeks out and Team PSG is showing up in a big way! |
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Words can't describe the gratitude we feel for everyone who has is running Colfax May 20 & 21 on behalf of Project Safeguard. When we signed up to be a charity partner in December, we had no idea that more than 75 people would join our team! We even have a team-within-a-team of 50 folks signed up to run with Team Katie, in memory of Kate Rafferty Petrocco, a survivor of domestic violence who left this world far too soon in July 2019. We have been highlighting Team Katie runners on social media so be sure to follow us and get to know some of these incredible folks who are coming from all over the US! We are also thrilled to have several community partners and local supporters joining us! We can't wait to cheer you all on and celebrate with you at the finish line! Sending strength and good weather vibes as you continue training. We will have a booth at the event all weekend and will share more details on where to find us as we have them.
Thanks to our runners, fundraisers, and sponsors we have raised more than $30,000 so far! We continue to be impacted by COVID-19 budget cuts and reductions to many of our traditional funding sources, so this community support is needed now more than ever. If you want to support the cause, whether you're participating in race weekend or not, you can make a donation through our event fundraising page anytime. Every donation helps us continue to provide life-changing legal services to survivors of gender-based violence! |
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Check out our Team PSG Colfax Marathon Sponsors! |
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Shimmy Mob will support PSG on World Belly Dance Day! |
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We are honored to be partnering with the Thornton, CO chapter of Shimmy Mob! They will perform on May 13th at Civic Center Park in Thornton around 11:00am and at Denver International Airport at 2pm, with proceeds benefitting Project Safeguard. Twelve talented dancers will share information about our services and encourage donations to support our work! This global effort raises awareness of domestic abuse through a belly dance flash mob held annually.
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Here are a few ways you can support Project Safeguard all year long |
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Many nonprofits rely heavily on year-end giving from individual donors, which is why you get bombarded with emails asking you to give in November and December.
For some people, making a smaller monthly donation is more budget-friendly, and helps provide sustainable funding for nonprofits.
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Many workplaces have programs that allow employees to give to a charity directly out of their paycheck and some employers will even match donations! If you have made or are planning to make a donation, ask your employer if they will match it.
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The King Soopers/City Market Community Rewards Program makes fundraising easy by donating to local organizations based on the shopping you do! Here’s how it works:
Login to your King Soopers or City Market account, click on Community Rewards, and search for Project Safeguard by name or use the code KQ344. Once you have linked your card, all you have to do is shop at King Soopers and swipe your Shopper’s Card!
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