Rape

According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network), 248,300 rapes and sexual assaults occurred in the United States in the year 2007. That translates into about one rape every two minutes.  73 percent of victims reported that they knew their attacker.

College-age women are four times more likely to be sexually assaulted than anyone else.

According to the Department of Justice only an estimated 26% of all rapes or attempted rapes are reported to the police. Less than 5% of completed or attempted rapes against college women were reported to law enforcement officials.

In the courts of the world, rape is the least punished of violent crimes - that is, if it's even against the law. Some countries, such as Malaysia, have explicit exemptions for marital rape. Even in the U.S., it wasn't until 1993 that marital rape became a crime in all 50 states.

Rape also continues to be employed as a military tactic in armed struggle and displacement of peoples due to war.  For countless girls and women worldwide, the intimate act of sexual engagement is not a matter of free will. They are robbed of their basic rights by forced and unwanted sexual contact, often violent, sometimes fatal, always traumatic. Nearly one-third of rape victims developRape-Related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (RR-PTSD) at some point in their lifetimes, and 13% actually attempt suicide.Some good news on the activism front comes from the V-Day initiative, sparked by Eve Ensler, author of the brilliant and controversial play "The Vagina Monologues." The initiative sponsors a Stop Rape Contest and raises money through benefit performances that have included such celebrities as Glenn Close, Desiree, Calista Flockhart, Whoopi Goldberg, Alanis Morissette, Rosie Perez and Susan Sarandon.

Action, Information and Opportunities to Help

Facts, stats and historical data can all be found at the following sites. Links to sites especially for men too:

• V-Day's Anti-Violence Resource Guide
• RAINN
  
• National Center for Victims of Crime - sexual violence statistics
• Gift From Within-An International Charity for Survivors of Trauma and Victimization
• Male Responsibility for Rape And Rape Awareness
• National Clearinghouse on Marital and Date Rape/Women's History Library
• National Sexual Violence Resource Center
• U.N. Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women
• WAR and RAPE: A Digest Of Referenced Articles on Sexual Violence and Armed Conflict
• Men Can Stop Rape

  Peacekeeper designed the V-Day Gloss, a natural mineral lip gloss, to help in Eve Ensler's campaign to stop violence against women. Make a difference in the lives of women around the world together with Peacekeeper Cause-Metics.