SENATE RESOLUTION 18

(By Senators Weld, Woelfel, Stollings, Jeffries, Lindsay, Baldwin, and Hamilton)

[Introduced February 3, 2022]

Designating February 7, 2022, as Sexual Violence Awareness Day in West Virginia.

Whereas, Sexual Violence Awareness Day draws attention to the fact that sexual violence is widespread and has implications for every community member; and

Whereas, All people have a right to be safe in their home, school, workplace, college campus, and community; and

Whereas, One in six women and one in 22 men in West Virginia will be victims of an attempted or completed forcible rape; and 

Whereas, The West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information and Services and the state’s rape crisis centers have been working for 40 years. They individually and collaboratively, provide quality services and systemic change to give West Virginia residents of all ages the opportunity to live in communities and homes free from violence and fear; and

Whereas, No one person, organization, agency, or community can eliminate sexual violence on their own. Therefore, we must work together to educate our population about what can be done to prevent sexual assault, support victim/survivors and their families, and increase assistance for agencies providing services to victim/survivors; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate:

That the Senate hereby designates February 7, 2022, as Sexual Violence Awareness Day in West Virginia; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Senate is committed to treating this problem with the seriousness it deserves by working to achieve solutions that deter, prevent, and reduce sexual violence in our state; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the West Virginia Foundation for Rape and Information Services.