CEDAR FALLS, IOWA — Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton laid out a proposal Monday to combat the “epidemic” of sexual assault on college campuses.
At a “Women for Hillary” event in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Clinton said that “every student deserves a safe environment in which to learn and thrive, not live in fear.”
“It is not enough to condemn campus sexual assault. We need to end campus sexual assault,” she said.
This is the first time Clinton is addressing the issue on the campaign trail.
The former secretary of state’s proposal is based on the work that the Obama administration has done to highlight sexual assault prevention.
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“As president, I’ll fight to make sure every campus offers every survivor the support she needs and will make sure those services are comprehensive, confidential and coordinated,” she said.
Clinton outlined three key tenets to her plan to an audience of mostly students at the University of Northern Iowa. The plan includes a comprehensive support network for sexual assault survivors and an increased focus on disciplinary proceedings for both accusers and the accused. Clinton also spoke about prevention efforts and starting sexual violence prevention programs earlier in schools.
An estimated one in five women reports experiencing sexual assault while in college, according to a recent Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation poll.
This article originally appeared on NBCNews.com.
Monica Alba