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Building power to end sexual violence

We are a collective of organizations who believe that survivors should be the ones shaping the national conversation on sexual violence.

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Building power to end sexual violence

Steering committee

Steering committee

'me too.' International
National Women's Law Center
Justice for Migrant Women
National Domestic Workers Alliance

Voters’ views toward
addressing sexual violence.

In partnership with Survivors’ Agenda, PerryUndem conducted a national survey of voters, including a robust subsample of sexual violence survivors, on the topic of sexual violence and public policy.

News

The Survey Explores

  • Perceptions of the problem of sexual violence
  • Experience with and proximity to sexual violence
  • Attitudes toward policies rooted in the Survivors’ Agenda
  • Views toward #MeToo five years after the movement erupted

5 Key findings

One

Five years later, data suggest #MeToo had significant effects on sizeable portions of the electorate.

One in three (33%) sexual assault survivors says

They talked about their experience as a direct result of #MeToo.
Thirty percent of survivors talked with family members about sexual violence within their family.

Nearly half of mothers (47%) say that, as a direct result of #MeToo, they talked with their children about sexual violence.
Close to half of men voters ages 18 to 44 (46%) say they learned more about what sexual violence is as a direct result of #MeToo. Half of women voters (50%) say the #MeToo movement made them think about men having more power in society and in government than women.

5 Key findings

Two

A majority of voters say that sexual violence affects their own family.

About half (49%) of respondents say

They have experienced either sexual harassment (44%) or sexual assault (29%), including 67% of women.

Close to two-thirds (65%) say that they or family members have experienced sexual harassment or assault, including 76% of women.

5 Key findings

Three

More broadly, voters consider sexual harassment and assault common in our society and a problem.

About eight in ten respondents say

Sexual harassment (82%) and sexual assault (79%) are common in our society.

Three-quarters (75%) consider sexual harassment and assault a big or somewhat of a problem today (including 84% of women who think so).

5 Key findings

Four

The impact of #MeToo and the pervasiveness of sexual violence in our society help explain very broad support for policies to address sexual violence.

For example, large majorities express support for elected officials working on

  • Making sure all workers, including independent contractors and people who work for families have rights to be free from sexual harassment at work (92% support, 69% strongly)
  • Strengthening laws so that people are legally protected from sexual harassment by landlords and neighbors (88%, 63%)
  • Prohibiting employers from forcing workers to sign
    nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) (83%, 62%)
  • Making sure schools treat survivors fairly, including working on any inequities based on race, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity (84%, 61%)
  • Requiring health insurance plans to cover mental health services (85%, 60%)

5 Key findings

Five

A majority of voters say they’re more likely to vote for a political candidate for who is in favor of addressing sexual violence.

One in three (33%) sexual assault survivors says

Fifty-seven percent of respondents say they’d be more likely to vote for a candidate for U.S. House of Representatives who was in favor of working to prevent and address sexual violence in communities.
Just eight percent would be less likely and 36% say it wouldn’t make a difference in their vote.

Data suggest sizeable proportions of these segments are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports addressing and preventing sexual violence:

  • Democratic women (80%)
  • Suburban women (64%)
  • Women (64%)
  • Black women (63%)
  • Latina/x women (65%)
  • AAPI women (69%)
  • White women (64%)
  • Independent women (52%)
  • Swing voters* (52%)
  • Republican women (49%)
  • Men (49%)

Methods

Including

National survey of
n = 1,956 registered voters

Results

The Survey Explores

  • n = 407 Black voters
  • n = 399 Latina/o/x voters
  • n = 415 AAPI voters
  • n = 639 sexual violence survivors

Conducted August 30 through September 12, 2022

• Using YouGov’s online panel
• Margin of sampling error for total: + 3 percentage points


EVENTS

Thank you for joining us!

What an incredible three days of learning and connecting. We’re so grateful to each and every person who joined us. If you weren’t able to join live, or want to re-watch your favorite sessions, click below!

Thank you for joining us!


From Survivors

June Barrett
Survivor
Katherine Kendall
Survivor

Get Involved

Host a Kitchen Table Conversation

Take the opportunity to engage in directed conversations with your community about how to end sexual harassment and violence.

Host a Kitchen Table Conversation
GET INVOLVED

READ THE AGENDA

We are a collective of organizations who believe that survivors should be the ones shaping the national conversation on sexual violence.

READ THE AGENDA


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