Sexual Violence Prevention

Sexual violence is a concern that permeates across cultures, public and private spaces, worksites, schools, institutions, and countries everywhere. Approximately every 68 seconds, a person in the United States is sexually assaulted. Perpetrators can be someone the survivor knows including a relative, friend, co-worker, and even a state actor. Sexual violence often disproportionately affects marginalized communities.

What We Do

MESA’s Sexual Violence Prevention program is funded in part by the Rape Prevention Education grant through the Indiana State Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Our program enhances statewide sexual violence primary prevention (SVPP) efforts by working collaboratively with communities and stakeholders across Indiana to promote racial, disability, gender, and immigration justice as a means to prevent sexual violence in BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color), working class, rural, people with disabilities and immigrant communities across Indiana.

MESA facilitates this work by connecting SVPP efforts to public health and preventative measures. Such measures include safe employment conditions, food security, access to affirming healthcare, meeting the community’s needs and advocating for human-centered policies. MESA leads these efforts through education, community empowerment, and transformative justice through the vessel of public health.

MESA’s SVPP efforts focus on reducing risk factors associated with sexual violence across Indiana by providing workshops and webinars, participating on advisory councils, and participating in other capacity-building events. We provide our services to community leaders and organizers, Purdue Extension, laborers, service providers, professionals, and other stakeholders.

How You Can Help

You can donate now to our gift fund (Nicoletti-Martinez MESA Gift Fund)

Contact Kimber Nicoletti-Martinez about partnering with the MESA Sexual Violence Prevention program.