One in five women in Indiana has been a victim of rape at some point in their lifetime.
Indiana is second in the nation for rape among girls between 9th and 12th grade.
85% of sexual assaults are not reported to legal authorities in Indiana.
These statistics from the Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault are some of the reasons why the group launched Sexual Assault Awareness Month Friday in a way that grabbed people's attention.
The group turned the canal teal, a color that represents sexual assault. In addition, the group held a presentation in front of a crowd of about 50 people, that included a speech from sexual abuse survivor and advocate Kirat Sandhu.
Sandhu was one of the survivors on stage at the Academy Awards when Lady Gaga performed "Till it happens to you."
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“I realized that is a really powerful voice to have and I wanted to keep using it, and obviously today so many others have come forward from hearing me and from hearing the work I do so I think it’s just such important work and until sexual violence is no longer a problem, I think we have to keep speaking out," Sandhu said.
There are several sexual assault awareness events scheduled for this month. For the full list, click here.
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