Secondly, breaking the silence and raising awareness are essential to the pre...

Secondly, breaking the silence and raising awareness are essential to the prevention of sexual violence and the protection of victims. Political discussion and initiatives at international and regional levels are of crucial importance to send the message of intolerance toward sexual violence, and that must combined with measures aimed at raising awareness at the grass-roots level. Therefore, eliminating sexual violence requires not only sanctioning perpetrators, but transforming the mindset of societies and the underlying economic and social conditions that allow sexual violence to thrive.