Sexual violence

It is difficult to estimate precisely the frequency of sexual violence since in many communities, sexual violence remains a subject of deep shame for women and their families and is often unreported. For instance, rape statistics from police reports are notoriously unreliable due to the extensive lack of formally registered complaints.

In spite of these legal measures, sexual violence remains a major problem on the American continent. According to a survey conducted by the US Department of Justice, every two minutes a person becomes a victim of sexual assault in the country. Across the entire continent, health and police professionals are still insufficiently informed about care needed for women victims or unaware of the risk of repeat victimisation. A number of factors contribute to the growth of sexual violence on the American continent: high crime rates, social standards that promote a sense of male superiority, especially in Latin America, etc. This phenomenon also affects US college campuses to a large extent: it is estimated that in the US one out of five young women will be a victim of sexual assault during her university studies. Many avenues for progress are possible, however: raising men’s awareness, raising general public awareness via campaigns and prevention initiatives, development of training for healthcare and police professionals, support to shelters, care to women victims, etc.