Georgia Network to End Sexual Assault

Description

GNESA was founded in 1982 as a loose network by the seven existing rape crisis centers in Georgia; the network helped the centers develop into viable entities. From its inception and increasingly as the network grew, the member centers recognized the need for a central office to address a lack of: cooperation from the criminal justice system, sufficiently trained and interested medical professionals, representation in the construction of public policy, coordinated response to sexual assault crimes, and financial resources to sufficiently serve survivors of sexual assault. Therefore, in late 1997 GNESA incorporated as a non-profit organization, secured office space, hired its first staff members, and started to develop its programs. In its new incarnation, the membership has grown to 25 rape crisis centers, 17 supporting organizations (such as women's groups, police departments, prosecutors' offices, nurses' organizations, and victim/witness programs), and individual members (including nurses we have trained as part of our Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program).