March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the achievements, resilience, and leadership of women throughout history. But it is also an important moment to reflect on the challenges that women and girls continue to face, including the persistent and devastating reality of sexual violence. This year’s theme, Leading the Change, honors the bravery and commitment of all the women and girls who are standing up against abuse and the institutions that protect abusers.
While sexual violence affects people of all genders, the data remains clear: women and girls are disproportionately impacted.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
- 1 in 5 women in the United States has experienced attempted or completed rape during their lifetime.
- Nearly 1 in 3 women have experienced some form of contact sexual violence.
- Over 80% of female survivors report experiencing sexual harassment or assault before age 25.
These numbers represent far more than statistics. They represent survivors, many of whom carry the trauma of abuse for years or decades before feeling safe enough to come forward.
Women’s History Month should not only celebrate progress. It should also challenge us to confront the systems and institutions that have historically failed to protect women and girls.
Sexual Violence Often Occurs in Places of Trust
One of the most painful realities of sexual abuse cases is that many survivors are harmed in places that should be safe.
Across the country, civil lawsuits have exposed sexual abuse occurring in institutions such as:
- Schools and universities
- Youth sports programs
- Summer camps and extracurricular programs
- Juvenile detention centers and residential facilities
- Medical settings and health care practices
- Religious institutions
In many of these cases, the abuse itself is only part of the story.
The larger issue often involves institutional failures, including ignored warning signs, inadequate policies, poor supervision, and decisions that prioritized reputation over safety.
When institutions fail to act, they allow abuse to continue and new victims to emerge.
Why Civil Litigation Matters for Survivors
For many survivors, the criminal justice system does not provide a pathway to accountability. Prosecutors may decline charges, evidence may be difficult to obtain years later, or statutes of limitations may prevent criminal cases entirely.
Civil litigation provides another path.
Through civil lawsuits, survivors can:
- Hold institutions financially accountable for negligence
- Expose systemic failures that allowed abuse to occur
- Force organizations to implement stronger safety policies
- Prevent future harm to others
Civil litigation has already led to significant reforms in schools, youth organizations, religious institutions, and healthcare systems across the country.
These cases do more than seek justice for individual survivors; they create lasting change.
Holding Institutions Accountable Protects Women and Girls
At Andreozzi + Foote, our work is rooted in a simple belief: institutions must be held accountable when they fail to protect vulnerable people. We Believe Survivors.
Our firm represents survivors of sexual abuse across the country in cases involving:
- Schools and educational institutions
- Hotels and Motels
- Child-serving organizations and camps
- Juvenile detention facilities
- Healthcare providers and medical professionals
- Religious organizations
When institutions are forced to answer for their failures, meaningful change becomes possible. Policies are rewritten. Training improves. Reporting systems strengthen. And future abuse becomes harder to hide.
Accountability is not just about the past; it is about protecting the next generation.
Supporting Survivors Means Listening to Their Stories
One of the most powerful aspects of civil litigation is that it gives survivors a voice.
For many women, speaking about abuse is not easy. Survivors often carry fear, shame, and self-doubt that were reinforced by the very systems that should have supported them. When survivors come forward, they are doing something profoundly courageous.
Their stories expose the truth. And their courage often inspires others to step forward as well.
Women’s History Month Is a Call to Continue the Work
Women’s History Month reminds us that progress is possible when people demand change.
The fight for women’s rights has always required courage from those who spoke out against injustice long before the world was ready to listen.
Survivors of sexual violence continue that legacy today.
Every time a survivor files a civil lawsuit, speaks publicly about abuse, or challenges an institution that failed them, they move the conversation forward. And with every case that exposes systemic failures, the path toward prevention becomes clearer.
Trauma-Informed Sexual Abuse Lawyers for Survivors
If you or someone you love experienced sexual abuse in an institutional setting, it is important to know that help is available.
Civil litigation may provide an opportunity to hold those responsible accountable and to create safer environments for others.
Survivors deserve to be heard. They deserve support. And they deserve justice.
You deserve to be heard, and our attorneys are ready to listen.
Contact us today.
(866) 858-3790
info@vca.law