2020 Campaign Highlights the Importance of Asking for Consent

The Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS) is joining the 19th Sexual Assault Awareness Month campaign in April, a nationwide effort to raise public awareness about sexual violence and educate communities on how to prevent it.

The health and social services organization wants to engage the community in a discussion of the topic by providing comprehensive information about consent and encouraging community members to discuss it with their loved ones.

“Asking for and giving consent is a crucial component of any healthy relationship,” said Dulce Ferreira, MA, MAPS Director of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services. “It is also more than just getting yes for an answer. It’s about paying attention to our partner’s body language, respecting their decision without hesitation or pressuring them, and, ultimately, it’s about respecting them.”

The organization is providing further information about consent on its website at maps-inc.org/dvsa and will be conducting outreach about the topic on social media throughout April.

“We want to engage our community in this uncomfortable conversation, and hopefully encourage them to have this discussion with their partners, children, family, and loved ones,” added Ferreira. “We must also keep in mind that during the coronavirus pandemic, many community members are unable to feel safe in their own homes because, in many cases, they may be living with their abusers.”

During the coronavirus crisis, MAPS continues to provide assistance and information to victims and survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, as well as general assistance, via telephone and social media.

The organization can be reached in Cambridge (617-864-7600), Somerville (617-764-2091), Brighton (617-787-0557), Dorchester (617-825-5897), Framingham (508-872-2652) and Lowell (978-970-1250) or at facebook.com/maps.org.