The Women’s Center of Tarrant County is selling teal T-shirts for $25 this month to raise awareness about issues of sexual violence, as well as to support survivors of rape, child sexual abuse and intimate partner violence. This is part of the nonprofit’s “Victory Over Violence – Hope Starts Here” campaign. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month.
The Women’s Center is also partnering with local universities—including TCU, UTA, TCC and UNTHSC—to host events that educate students, faculty and the community about sexual and relationship violence prevention.
Events include TCC Southeast’s Sexual Assault Awareness Presentation with the Family Empowerment Center, as well as presentations with DASHH (Drugs, Alcohol, Sex, Harassment, and Hazing) Prevention Squad.
The Women’s Center hopes to raise awareness on these startling statistics:
- Every 73 seconds, someone in America is sexually assaulted (RAINN.org).
- Nearly one in three Texans will experience sexual assault in their lifetime, with women being twice as likely to be victimized as men.
- One in four girls and one in six boys experience some form of sexual abuse before their 18th birthday.
- Eight out of ten rapes are committed by someone known to the victim (RAINN.org).
T-shirt purchases and donations to the Women’s Center help provide continuum of care for the more than 100,000 women, men and children served in the rape crisis and victim services program. Through this program, survivors receive the tools needed to heal from the devastating effects of violence, children and teens learn how to reduce their risk of abuse, and the community is empowered to prevent and respond to interpersonal violence through education and training.
Visit here to purchase a T-shirt or make a donation to the organization.
Laura Hilgart, The Women’s Center’s President and CEO, said, “Child and adult victims of interpersonal violence, already vulnerable and traumatized, have been made even more so by the COVID -19 pandemic. The Women’s Center is preparing to see an increase in victims seeking services, as many have been trapped in unsafe situations and may have experienced more extreme levels of violence. Since we are unable to have our Victory Over Violence Walk/Run, we need the community’s support to raise critical funds to sustain our work—work that prevents violence and helps survivors heal.”
Established in 1979, the Women’s Center addresses significant problems of violence, crisis, and poverty experienced by women and families in Tarrant County. It has served hundreds of thousands of women, men, and children since then. This possible because of the commitment of expert staff, generous donors, dedicated volunteers, a passionate involved board of directors, and community partnerships. The mission of the Women’s Center is to inspire and empower women, men, and children to overcome violence, crisis, and poverty. For more information about The Women’s Center, please visit, or call 817-927-4040.
2020 at TWC — BY THE NUMBERS
- 113,290 women, men and children served at The Women’s Center
- 1,951 people called the Rape Crisis and Victim Services 24-Hour Hotline.
- 353 survivors and their 267 significant others were counseled at local hospital rape exam sites.
- 515 women and men received therapy to overcome the trauma of violence.
- 119 children and their 87 parents/guardians received therapy to overcome the trauma of abuse.
- 241 victims received legal assistance from the Center’s in-house attorney.
- 100,823 children and adolescents participated in the Play it Safe!® child sexual abuse prevention program.
- 98 disclosed their current or past abuse to a Women’s Center trainer. This does not include children who may have disclosed to another trusted adult.
- 2,899 adults received sexual assault prevention training.
- 3,118 professionals were trained in victimization issues to best help survivors.