During the course of their college careers, between 20 and 25 percent of women will be sexually assaulted or experience attempted sexual assault. In addition to physical injury and psychological trauma, this violation undermines women's opportunities for educational achievement, causes chaos in their personal and professional lives, and alters them forever.
A significant part of the mission of the AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund is to raise awareness of the issues facing women in higher education. Unfortunately, sexual harassment — which includes sexual assault — remains a persistent problem for female students. LAF strives to bring the issue to the forefront of campus discussions and activism. With an increased understanding of sexual assault issues as well as the implementation of laws, policies, and practices to address and remedy the problem, LAF hopes to see a reduction in the prevalence of these incidences.
The first step in changing an environment is to get the facts. AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund offers the following resources:
- Sexual Assault Statistics
Details on the prevalence of attacks as well as information on the devastating impact of sexual assault on female students in all areas of their lives.
- Overview of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
While Title IX was primarily designed to prohibit sex discrimination in federally funded education programs, it can also be used as a tool to combat sexual assault on campus.
- Strategies for Students
Learn how students around the country have developed programs to prevent sexual assault.
- Recent Cases
Three recent cases illustrate how costly noncompliance with sexual assault policies can be for colleges and universities.
- Models for Administrators
College administrators have made progress in preventing campus assaults. Get details on what works.
- Resources
A directory of organizations and publications that offer more information and contacts to get help for victims.
Still need help? If you have any questions, would like to learn more, or would like to make a contribution to LAF, send an e-mail laf@aauw.org or call 202/785-7750.
