It’s time … to plan events for
Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

The following list of events will help you with planning an effective Sexual Assault Awareness 
Month (SAAM) campaign. Adapt events and activities to meet your community’s needs. Be 
sure to add your SAAM event(s) to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s calendar at 
www.nsvrc.org to promote your event to individuals and organizations across the country.

Day of Action: tuesday, april 3, 2012

for the 2012 SAAM Day of Action proclaim
"It's time...to talk about it" by using social
media to join the conversation on how we
connect, respect, and prevent sexual violence.
The tools we use to with our networks, like 
social media and networking sites, can help 
spread awareness and advocate for social 
change. By changing your profile pictures and 
focusing your status updates, tweets, and blog 
posts on SAAM and the Day of Action, you can 
engage online communitites in sexual violence
prevention.

Ways to connect

 •Change your profile picture.  On April 3, post
a photo of yourself holding a clock to represent 
"It's time!"
 •Use tweets, posts and status updates to
spread the word about SAAM 2012.  Check out
our suggested posts for social networking sites.
 • Post a SAAM or healthy sexuality-related
video to the NSVRC YouTube channel at
www.youtube.com/NSVRC.
 •Tweet about it Tuesdays! Join us on Twitter
for an hour-long town hall discussion starting 
on the Day of Action and continuing each
Tuesday in April.  For more information, visit:
www.nsvrc.org/saam
 •Add a teal ribbon graphic, banner or 
background to your online profile or website.
 •Highlight your event on the NSVRC event 
calendar, and check out events happening locally 
and across the country.
 •Connect with NSVRC on Facebook.com/nsvrc
and Twitter.com/nsvrc, and stay tuned for SAAM-
related updates all month long.
 •Share your photos, videos, stories and posts
by e-mail to resource@nsvrc.org or posting on
NSVRC social networking sitese.

Set up an awareness booth/table

Set up an information booth or table at
a location in your community.  Hang teal
decorations, distribute campaign top sheets and
offer SAAM products and giveaways to attract
visitors.  To purchase SAAM products, visit the
NSVRC store at www.nsvrc.org/saam.



Launch a Bandana Project
This event, created by the Southern Poverty  
Law Center, raises awareness about the 
exploitation women working on farms. Decorated
bandanas are a symbol of those worn by 
women while working to cover their faces in 
an attempt to avoid unwanted sexual attention 
and harassment. Bring community members 
together to decorate white bandanas in creative 
ways. Hang the bandanas in a public space to 
start dialogue about sexual violence prevention. 

Showcase an art exhibit
Have survivors do art or photography displays 
to express their healing as part of a support or 
therapy group. Some centers have produced 
shadow boxes, quilts, clothing, collages, and 
jewelry. Display the art in a public space and 
have local musicians and other artists perform.

Partner with local bars/nightclubs 
Have a custom hand stamp created with a 
catchy slogan, like “consent is sexy” and your 
organization’s website. Collaborate with local 
bars to use the stamp for entrance during the 
month of April in honor of SAAM. This is a great 
way to get the word out about your organization 
and promote a healthy sexuality message. 

Host a “Breakfast With” event 
Invite local legislators, who have sponsored 
legislation that addresses sexual violence to  
talk about contemporary trends in anti-sexual  
violence law. You can invite local business 
leaders, law enforcement agencies, attorneys, 
and others that would be impacted by pending  
or recently passed legislation.

Coordinate a Clothesline Project
Clothesline Projects use decorated T-shirts to 
promote awareness about sexual and domestic
violence, hate crimes, and child abuse.  Then the
shirt is hung on a clothesline to be viewed by
others as testimony to the problem of sexual
violence.  Most events include a shirt-making
session, held in conjunction with a display of
recently or previously created shirts.  consider
asking local businesses to donate the shirts and
other supplies for this event.  For more, visit
www.clotheslineproject.org.

Collaborate on "a cup of prevention"
Ask local coffee shops, book stores, and small
restaurants to donate a percentage of their 
coffee and tea sales to a local rape crisis center
during the month of April.

Honor Denim Day
Denim Day, on April 25, 2012, is an
international protest responding to the Italian
Supreme Court's overruling of a rape conviction
in 1999.  An Italian woman was raped, and 
when the case went to trial, the jury found
her assailant guilty.  The Supreme Court then
overturned the ruling, saying that jeans are too
difficult to remove and the assailand could not
have done so without the victim's help.

To honor Denim Day, people are encouraged to
wear jeans to work or school in order to promote
discussion of the misconceptions that surround
sexual assault.  Peace Over Violence (formerly
the Los Angeles Commission on Assaults 
Against Women), sponsors a Denim Day in LA 
campaign with related resources.  For more, visit
www.denimdayinla.org.

Participate in SlutWalk protests
SlutWalk protests and marches began in 
Toronto, Canada, to rally against victim-blaming  
attitudes that excuse or explain rape by referring 
to an individual’s appearance or dress. Visit 
www.slutwalktoronto.com to learn more about 
this movement.
 
 
Sponsor an essay contest 
Invite community members to write essays 
about the impact of sexual violence on their lives 
and their role in prevention. Collect and publish 
the essays. Distribute these stories around 
your community, to donors, and to partner 
organizations.
 
Organize a bookstore/library display or reading
Approach local bookstores and libraries about 
setting up displays related to sexual assault with  
SAAM flyers and your program’s information. 
Organize a book or poetry reading about sexual 
assault or recovering from trauma. 


Partner with corporations
Encourage major corporations in your 
community to add a note into employee’s 
paychecks with your agency’s information  
and information on sexual assault. This can 
also be done with utility and cable companies 
by requesting the information be placed in 
customers’ bills.
 
Engage faith-based communities 
During April, ask local faith communities to 
address sexual violence during their services, 
offer prayer sessions, or donations to local rape  
crisis centers. 

Initiate a flag campaign
Purchase small teal flags and insert them into 
grassy areas throughout the community.  for
example, calculate the annual number of sexual 
assaults for the specific college or university and
place this number of flags in the ground.  Set up
a table nearby to explain the purpose of the flags
and distribute information about sexual assault.
For some tips on using flags, visit the Red Flag
Campaign at www.theredflagcampaign.org

Launch a letter-writing campaign
Some organizations take part in political
advocacy during SAAM by writing letters to local,
state, territory, tribal and national government
officials about policies related to sexual violence
that impact your community.

Participate in a mock trail
Mock sexual assault trials are used across 
the country to educate communities about
the legal process and address myths and
facts about sexual assault.  Mock trials are
condensed productions of actial or possible 
trials.  some communities have adapted mock 
trial performances to explore the campus judicial
hearing process.  You may be able to hold the 
mock trial in a local courthouse, town hall or 
educational institution.

Sponsor a movie screening
There are several films you can highlight
during SAAM.  Use discussion guides to get 
the audience talking about sexual violence 
and the issues addressed in the film.  Inquire 
at local theatres about having specific movies 
shown during April, with a portion of proceeds
donated to local sexual violence centers. Visit
www.nsvrc.org/saam to learn about SAAM
discounts on Media Education Foundation
documentary films.

Host an open house
An open house provides an opportunity for 
your organization to raise its profile in the 
community and to provide valuable information. 
Make brochures, signs and educational 
information available and provide information  
about volunteer opportunities.

Invite board members and local officials.  
Publicize the open house in newspapers, on radio  
stations and through online social networks. 
 
Team up with law enforcement 
Request permission to tie teal ribbons to the 
antennae of police cars. This is an opportunity to 
get to know your local law enforcement officers 
and it allows for them to become more involved 
with your agency. 

Become a human ribbon
Place a lengthy teal ribbon around a person to 
form a life-size awareness ribbon. An advocate 
accompanies the human ribbon to engage 
onlookers. Local dignitaries could be recruited
to be the “human ribbon.” Have educational  
information available to distribute to observers.

Partner with a local restaurant
There is a wide range of ways you can 
incorporate local restaurants into your SAAM 
activities. Find a local restaurant that will 
provide an organizational discount, and host a 
corporate/legislative breakfast to (re)introduce 
your agency and board to the community. Or, 
request that the eatery contribute a small 
percentage of the profits on the "SAAM Day
of Action."  Ask to promote your campaign by
hanging an awareness poster in the restaurant.

Organize a poetry slam
Poetry slams are events where poets perform
and are judged on their writing and perfoemance.
These events can be large or small.  You may
partner with organizations or schools to locate
a venue for the event.  English and Performing 
Arts Departments at local universiteis may be 
interested in cosponsoring the event.  Invite your
local media to advertise and cover the event, or
partner with your local radio stations for DJs,
judges, and hosts.

Off a poster contest
Hold a contest for students to create your
organization's SAAM posters.  Use social 
networking sites like Facebook or Twitter to
promote the contest and announce the winner.
Offer prozed to attract more submissions.

Give a presentation at a salon
A unique place to hold presentations about 
sexual violence is at local beauty salons.  You can
hang a poster with sexual assault information
and your organization's services, or you can
provide your organization's contact information
to be added to stylists' business cards.

Create a restroom campaign
Take advantage of unconventional advertising
space by placing flyers on the back of stall doors
in the restrooms of college campuses, bars, 
businesses, and state agencies.  Remember to
ask permission before posting flyers.

Get moving for prevention
Many social and health causes have started  
annual walk or run events to raise money and 
awareness. You can plan a walk for sexual  
violence awareness, or you may consider 
reaching out to other organizations that are 
holding walks and runs during April to form 
a team to represent the anti-sexual violence 
movement. Consider hosting a Zumba, yoga or 
dance class during April for another way to get  
your community moving to end sexual violence. 

Shine “Light” on sexual violence
The concept of “Shine the Light on Sexual 
Violence” was originally developed by the 
YWCA of Greater Los Angeles Sexual Assault  
Crisis Program. Shine the Light can be as 
simple as encouraging the community to use 
car headlights, candles, lamps, or flashlights to  
develop awareness about sexual violence. You 
may also choose to coordinate a community 
event, such as a candlelight vigil at dusk.

Shop to end sexual violence  
Partner with local businesses to offer discount 
coupons for purchases made during SAAM. 
Proceeds can benefit community or campus rape 
prevention programs.

Showcase a “Sole Survivor” event 
Set up a display of shoes to represent the  
number of victims of sexual assault on campus 
in one year, or another statistic that represents 
sexual violence. Display a mix of men’s, women’s 
and children’s shoes. Staff a table to answer 
questions about the display and distribute 
information on local resources. 

Welcome survivors to "Speak Out"
This type of event creates a safe space for 
survivors of all forms of sexual violence to
"speak out" about their experience, recovery, 
and healing.  choose a fairly quiet location for
your event and ensure that local rape cirsis
center professionals are on hand to provide
assistance to speakers and/or audience members
in need.  One option is to have two podiums and
microphones set up, one for survivors that are
willing to have their stories recorded by local or
campus media, and one for those who do not.

Throw a "Rock Against Rape" Concert
This benefit concert invites local musicians
to play during SAAM.  Proceeds can benefit
community or campus rape revention
programs.  You may want to have multiple
performers come to one venue, or arrange with
local bars and restaurants to host a variety of
live musicians over a couple of evenings.

Plan a "Take Back the Night" march
Take Back the Night (TBTN) is an international
phenomenon that began in the early 1970's in 
response to sexual assaults and violence against
women.  Local communities in the United States,
Canada, Latin American, India, and Europe have
organized TBTN marches and rallies to unify
individuals against violence in their communities.

TBTN can include a candlelight vigil, a rally,
a survivor speak out, and a large-scale public 
march.  Many organizations have incorporated
the arts into events with banner-making
contests, musical performances, poetry, and 
exhibits.  Visit www.takebackthenight.org for
more information and resources.

“Walk a Mile in Her Shoes”
During “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” marches, men 
walk one mile in women’s high-heeled shoes 
to help men gain a better understanding and 
appreciation of women’s experiences. These 
marches are designed to benefit rape crisis 
centers, and provide a fun opportunity for 
men to participate in educating communities 
about sexual violence. Consider partnering with 
local businesses to provide women’s shoes. For 
information, visit www.walkamileinhershoes.org. 

Support V-Day

V-Day promotes creative events to increase 
awareness, raise money, and stop violence 
against women and girls. V-Day generates global 
attention for the fight to stop violence, including 
rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation 
(FGM), and sexual slavery. Through V-Day 
campaigns, local volunteers and college students 
produce annual benefit performances of “The 
Vagina Monologues” to raise awareness and 
funds for anti-violence groups within their own 
communities. For more, visit www.vday.org.

Collaborate on a 
White Ribbon Campaign

The goals of the campaign are to involve 
men in working to end men’s violence against 
women, to raise awareness in the community, 
and to support organizations that deal with the 
consequences of men’s violence against women. 
Men who choose to participate wear a white 
ribbon and sign a pledge card stating that they 
will never commit, condone, or remain silent 
about violence against women. For more, visit 
www.whiteribbon.ca. 

Plant for prevention 
Tree and flower planting ceremonies 
during SAAM give recognition to those who have 
been sexually assaulted in our communities and 
counteract pollution in the environment. These 
events provide communities an opportunity to 
honor a relative, friend, or other victim and/
or survivor with the new life of a tree or plant. 
These ceremonies may be held in conjunction 
with Arbor Week, Earth Day or Arbor Day, all 
take place during April. Partner with local home 
and garden businesses and greenhouses, and 
consider asking these companies to donate trees 
or flowers to plant during your event.

Promote a “Teal Ribbon Campaign”
Tie a teal ribbon to your car, your clothing, etc. 
Set up baskets with teal ribbons on pin cards at 
hair salons, libraries, banks, and doctors’ offices. 
Wrap big teal ribbons around trees or tie teal 
ribbons to your county’s public safety vehicles. 
Ask a local craft store to donate teal ribbons 
to your agency or provide you with a nonprofit 
discount. Wherever you place the ribbons, be 
sure to have information on the significance of 
the ribbon as part of sexual assault awareness 
and prevention efforts.

Share your ideas!

E-mail your Sexual Assault 
Awareness Month (SAAM) event 
ideas to: resources@nsvrc.org