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The Maui News
A statewide sign-waving event for Sexual Assault Awareness Month is set for Tuesday afternoon in Wailuku from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. at 54 South High Street.
Last week, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green proclaimed April 2023 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which is part of a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about the issue of sexual violence.
A statewide SAAM sign-waving is planned at the Hawaii State Capitol from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and at other locations and times across the islands, including on Maui. Contact CFS Maui Sexual Assault Center at (808) 264-3630 for the Wailuku event.
On Molokai, the SAAM event will take place from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Kaunakakai Library every Wednesday in April. Contact MCAPP at (808) 658-9629 for more information.
This year's theme, "Foundations for the Future," aims to envision a future without sexual violence through healthy relationships and safer communities. During the month of April, the Hawaii State Department of Health and partner agencies are providing statewide training, events, and activities to bring awareness to the continuum of sexual violence from primary prevention to response and intervention.
"Sexual violence is common and starts early," said Joanne Higashi, coordinator of the DOH Sexual Violence Prevention Program. "Stopping all forms of sexual violence before it begins is the goal of primary prevention activities."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half of women, and almost one in three men have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetimes.
One in three women and about one in nine men have experienced sexual harassment in a public place; one in four women and one in 26 men in the United States have experienced rape or attempted rape; and ore than four in five female rape survivors reported that they were raped before age 25 and almost half were raped as a minor, according to the CDC.
In Hawaii, 1,714 adults and children received specialized services from sexual assault centers, and 2,472 calls were made to the state's sex assault center hotlines in 2022.
"SAAM is our opportunity to recognize that sexual violence is preventable and impacts everyone in our community regardless of age, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or disability," said Paula Chun, executive director of the Hawaii Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
This year's partner agencies include the HCASA; Community and Crime Prevention Branch of the Department of the Attorney General Crime Prevention and Justice Assistance Division; the University of Hawaii Prevention, Awareness and Understanding (PAU) Violence Program; Sex Abuse Treatment Center of Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children; Child & Family Service Maui; Molokai Child Abuse Prevention Pathways; YWCA Hawai'i Island; YWCA Kauai; and Waianae Neighborhood Place.
To learn more about SAAM Sign-Waving events and about statewide sexual violence prevention and treatment services, visit the Sex Abuse Treatment Center at satchawaii.org.