On April 1 — the first day of Sexual Assault Awareness Month — the Department of Health and Human Services fired most of the CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention staff who work on sexual violence prevention. At the same time, the director of the HHS’s Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services (OFVPS) was placed on administrative leave.

One in five women in the United States experience completed or attempted rape during their lifetime, and nearly a quarter of men experience some form of contact sexual violence. What kind of message does it send to the American public when our top officials don’t care about preventing sexual violence?

We call on the government to restore staffing and funding for the CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention and reinstate the director of OFVPS immediately.

These federal programs have been lifelines for local organizations, providing essential funding, expertise, and coordination to keep communities safe. Without them, local shelters, crisis centers, and prevention programs are left in limbo — unsure if they’ll receive the federal support they rely on to continue their life-saving work.

Decades of progress are at risk. These teams helped states design effective sexual violence prevention strategies, map danger zones in schools, and evaluate programs to stop violence before it starts. Cutting them not only silences experts but threatens the safety and well-being of millions of people – especially women – nationwide.

These programs have had strong bipartisan backing for years, with initiatives like the Violence Against Women Act consistently backed by lawmakers across the political spectrum.

We’re calling on the government to take these urgent actions now:

• Immediately reverse the cuts to sexual violence prevention programs and reinstate the teams responsible for administering funding and support.
• Ensure continued federal support by committing to sustained leadership, funding, and guidance for state and local programs that rely on these resources.
• Save the research and infrastructure built over decades — don’t throw away the expertise and networks that keep these programs effective and lives safe.
• Reinstate Shawndell Dawson, Director of the Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services, to restore trusted leadership and ensure continuity in protecting and supporting survivors nationwide.

Tell the government: we won’t stand by while essential programs are dismantled. Sign the petition to help reinstate this live-saving work.

photo: Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images via The Guardian