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LANETT — The Lanett City Council has approved a proclamation recognizing April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

As Monday evening’s council meeting, Council Member Tamalita Autry read the proclamation aloud and presented a copy of it Erin Connolly and Vickie Dearing of Rape Counselors of East Alabama (RCEA).

Rape Counselors of East Alabama strives to provide 24-hour a day free and confidential services to victims of sexual assault, their families and friends.

RCEA is committed to empowering survivors and eliminating all forms of sexual violence in our community.

Through education and awareness, RCEA aims to change the cultural norms that enable sexual assault to proliferate. Located in Auburn, the service area includes Lee, Chambers, Tallapoosa, Macon and Russell counties.

“We welcome survivors of all genders, races, religions, languages, ethnicities and sexual orientation,” said Executive Director Vickie Dearing.

“April marks Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a time to bring attention to the widespread issue of sexual violence and empower communities to take action,” the proclamation reads. “This year’s theme, ‘Together We Act, United We Change.’ highlights the power of working together to create safer, more respectable environments for us all.

“Central to this campaign is the importance of amplifying the voices of survivors, especially those most vulnerable in our communities.

Their experiences must be heard and acknowledged and their stories should guide our effort to combat sexual violence in all forms.

“Everyone in our communities deserves to live in safe and supportive environments where they are treated with respect. When our workplaces, schools and communities work together to uphold safety and respect, we make progress in preventing sexual abuse, assault and harassment.”

Current statistics show that:

4Most women and men who experienced contact sexual violence reported that the person who harmed them was someone they knew;

4More than 53% of women and over 29% of men reported experiencing contact sexual violence;

4One in five male victims reported only male perpetrators, one in two had only female perpetrators, and about one in six had both male and female perpetrators;

4More than one in four non-Hispanic Black women (29%) in the U.S. were raped in their lifetime;

4One in three Hispanic women (34.8%) reported unwanted sexual contact in their lifetime;

4More than four in five American Indian and Alaska Native women (84.3%) have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime;

4Almost one-third of adults with an intellectual disability have experienced sexual violence;

4Together, we act; united we change. By standing in solidarity, we can build a future free from sexual violence and create a world where everyone is safe, valued and respected.