Governor Josh Stein proclaimed on April 6 that April will be recognized as Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Month, aiming to increase awareness about sexual violence, which affects millions of Americans each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 45.1% of women and 16.9% of men in the United States have experienced some form of sexual violence involving physical contact during their lifetime.
The proclamation seeks to highlight the ongoing need for education, prevention efforts, and support services for survivors. Governor Stein said, “Sexual assault is a devastating crime that can leave lasting impacts on survivors and their families. We must continue working with law enforcement, victim services, and community partners to support survivors, prevent these crimes, and ensure accountability for offenders.”
North Carolinians are encouraged to show solidarity with survivors by wearing teal on April 7 and sharing images on social media using #SAAM2026. NC Department of Administration Secretary Gabriel J. Esparza said, “The need for continued education and awareness is evident in the startling statistics reported each year in our state and across the country. We should all ask ourselves what we can do to make a difference to prevent these crimes and support survivors within our communities.”
Sexual violence includes unwanted physical or verbal advances such as sexual activity without consent, abuse, harassment, assault, or non-consensual online actions like sharing intimate images or sexting without permission. The NC Department of Administration’s Division for Women and Youth funds nearly 100 sexual assault programs across most counties in North Carolina that provide counseling services, crisis lines available at all hours, transportation assistance, court advocacy services among other resources.
During the fiscal year 2024-25 alone more than 10,000 people in North Carolina sought help from rape crisis centers funded by this division; this figure includes over 2,800 children under age eighteen along with more than forty thousand crisis calls or chats received.
As Attorney General previously Governor Stein worked with legislators from both parties as well as district attorneys scientists law enforcement officers addressing what was then North Carolina’s largest untested rape kit backlog: out of nearly twelve thousand kits tested over five thousand DNA samples were entered into national databases resulting in thousands of investigative leads including hundreds of arrests.
