The Business Case for Preventing Sexual Violence and Protecting Survivors

Authored by RALIANCE Managing Partners Sandra Henriquez, Monika Johnson Hostler, and Yolanda Edrington

Photo Credit: monkeybusinessimages

Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April may be over, but the needs of survivors remain.  According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, one in four women report experiencing completed or attempted rape in their lifetimes while one in four men report unwanted sexual contact at some point in their lives. These numbers are far too high. Sexual violence isn’t an individual problem, it’s a widespread public health issue that needs to be addressed by a variety of stakeholders. 

Survivors need champions in all areas, from the halls of government to the C-suites of businesses to the nonprofit sector. Keeping our communities safe is and should be a non-partisan issue. The #MeToo movement showed us that survivors are our friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors, and we need to come together to support them.

Despite the clear consensus around supporting survivors, many of the programs that safeguard them are under significant stress. Federal funding from the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Crime Victims Fund has been cut 67% from its average $2.56 billion budget since 2019, with $630 million cut in FY2024 alone. These cuts do not reflect the needs of our communities – the field has seen a 70% increase in demand for these services at the same time. Hotlines, rape crisis centers, domestic violence centers, and other victim services providers have already been struggling to operate because of these cuts, and 2025 has brought additional challenges.

Further, organizations like the CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention, which houses the Rape Prevention and Education program, have been shut down. The Director of the Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services (OFVPS) in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has been terminated. The Department of Justice has cut $811 million in grants (impacting a variety of programs including victim services programs), and removed domestic violence grant funding opportunities from its website. The Administration’s leaked FY26 budget indicates that funding for Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) and Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancements and Leadership Through Alliances (DELTA) funding will be slashed from $107 million to $38 million and moved to an agency with no infrastructure. There are numerous examples of government programs and roles serving survivors being eliminated – but the work must continue. This is where the private sector has an opportunity to step up.

Supporting survivor-focused programs is a win-win for the businesses and the communities where they operate. The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) found that employees who experienced sexual harm reported poor mental and physical health conditions, increased financial hardships, and reduced access to job-learning and advancement opportunities. To put it in financial terms: one study estimated $22,500 in lost productivity per person for people impacted by sexual harassment at work, making clear the impact of sexual violence on the individual, but also the bottom line. 

The good news here is that employers and the private sector can play a tremendous role in helping survivors across the country. At RALIANCE, we have been proud to partner with corporate clients across the sports, tech, rideshare, and hospitality industries to amend workplace policies to create safer company cultures. Partnering with similar organizations or gender-based violence experts to help make workspaces safe from sexual misconduct is an easy first step. 

At RALIANCE, we have also been proud to support and lift up vital anti-sexual violence programs and projects across the country. In times like this, we call on businesses to develop similar grant programs for victim service organizations at the local, state, and national levels. For those who do not have the financial resources to meet the funding needs of these programs and organizations, they must use their voice to publicly advocate for survivors by calling for an increase in funding at the federal, state, and local levels to victim services. Businesses make communities run, so the private sector must do its part to ensure the safety of the communities in which they operate.

We hope to see the private sector keep the spirit of SAAM close to their hearts all year round. Together, we can honor survivors, bring much-needed services to the organizations that help them, and ultimately make our communities safer places to live, work, and play.

Sandra Henriquez, Monika Johnson Hostler, and Yolanda Edrington are Managing Partners at RALIANCE, a national partnership dedicated to ending sexual violence. RALIANCE partners with a wide range of organizations to improve their cultures and create environments free from sexual harassment, misconduct and abuse.

RALIANCE is a trusted adviser for organizations committed to building cultures that are safe, equitable, and respectful. RALIANCE offers unparalleled expertise in serving survivors of sexual harassment, misconduct, and abuse which drives our mission to help organizations across sectors create inclusive environments for all. Visit our website or our grant page for more information.