For Immediate Release:
Contact: Tasha Menaker, Director of Sexual Violence Response Initiatives
Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence
p: 602-279-2900 x426
tasha@acesdv.org
Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence to hold Rape Crisis Center Town Hall on April 26, 2018
Phoenix, Arizona – April 24, 2018 – Arizona is one of the few states in the nation that does not have any state sexual violence services funding nor any rape crisis centers. In a country where someone is sexually assaulted every 98 seconds, this is an unacceptable oversight.
The lack of rape crisis centers leaves serious gaps for crisis response in our community. In Arizona, 2 in 5 women and 1 in 5 men have experienced contact sexual violence (NISVS, 2017). In the United States, 4 out of 5 women with disabilities have experienced sexual assault (Vera Institute, 2017). These survivors need a 24-hour community based location that provides services without systemic obstacles.
Rape crisis centers offers sexual violence advocacy, trauma informed therapists, and medical forensic exams. They can be culturally responsive to individuals and place no limitations on service provision, even if the sexual assault happened years before. They also can assist survivors in making informed decisions on how to proceed and heal from the sexual assault, without pressure to follow one path over another.
In the age of #MeToo, Arizona needs to become more responsive to those that survive sexual violence. In order to facilitate that, the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence is holding a Rape Crisis Center Town Hall on April 26, at 6:30pm. This event will be held at First Church United Church in Christ, 1407 North 2nd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004.
Registration is free and can be completed by visiting: https://bit.ly/2vFZb8A. It is our hope to get the entire community to share in this important discussion.
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About the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence
The Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence is the designated dual issue coalition in Arizona addressing both sexual and domestic violence for over 35 years. Our purpose is to increase public awareness about the issues of sexual and domestic violence, enhance the safety of and services for sexual and domestic violence victims and survivors and end sexual and domestic violence in Arizona communities. We do this by providing education & training, technical assistance, advocating at the legislature in public policy as well as providing assistance to survivors and advocates through our Sexual and Domestic Violence Services Helpline.
