The Army of Survivors, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to end sexual violence against athletes, announced today that it will hold an Awareness and Education Hill Day on Thursday, November 17 in Washington D.C. to bring attention to the topic of abuse in sports.
“Through this day in Washington D.C., The Army of Survivors is helping to give athlete survivor voices a platform to connect with U.S. legislators and lawmakers on the topics that are most important to them,” said Julie Ann Rivers-Cochran, Executive Director of The Army of Survivors. “By allowing the voices of those with lived experiences to guide our thinking and actions, we can create a safer environment in sports for athletes of every level.”
On Thursday, athlete survivors and allies with The Army of Survivors will have the opportunity to connect Congress with The Army of Survivors and uphold survivor voices at the center of the work.
Survivors — including The Army of Survivors board members, staff and volunteers — are scheduled to meet with Senators’ offices from California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Ohio, Michigan and Nebraska. Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI 12th District) is also hosting a Survivor Round Table session where survivors and allies will have the opportunity to share their stories and information about trauma-informed practices and principles.
“Athletes of all ages should be able to train, practice, and compete safely without the threat of sexual abuse or misconduct,” said Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI 12th District). “While Congress has made significant progress in addressing the alarming rates of sexual violence in athletics, more must be done to ensure policies and procedures prioritizing athlete safety are implemented and enforced. I am grateful for organizations like The Army of Survivors for giving a voice to the ongoing needs of survivors, and I am looking forward to a productive discussion on how we can better protect athletes from abuse.”
Additionally, on Friday, survivors will participate in department meetings with the U.S. Department of Education and the White House Gender Policy Council.
The Awareness and Education Hill Day will give lawmakers a chance to hear firsthand from survivors about The Army of Survivors’ work to create awareness, accountability and transparency regarding sexual abuse against athletes, including the release of an Athlete Survivor Power and Control Wheel adaptation, outreach priorities, as well as educational tools around programs that impact survivors.
