That's the number of women in this country who have experienced contact sexual violence in their lifetimes — 45.1%, according to the CDC's newest data.
It includes rape, sexual coercion, and unwanted sexual contact, and it's more common than most people want to believe.
45.1%
of women have experienced contact sexual violence in their lifetime
16.9%
of men report lifetime contact sexual violence
1 in 3
women have faced verbal sexual harassment at work or in public
1 in 4
women have experienced technology-facilitated sexual violence — unwanted explicit messages, images, or a private photo shared without consent
These aren't abstract numbers. They're the reason this work matters.