Julia Fair

USA TODAY

Energy Secretary Rick Perry proposed Thursday that expanding fossil fuels could help prevent sexual assault.

Perry’s comment came as he recounted his recent trip to Africa during an event with Meet the Press host Chuck Todd and Axios CEO and founder Jim VandeHei.

Perry said he met a young girl who told him energy was important to her because she reads by the light of a fire with toxic fumes.

And then he pivoted to discussing sexual assault.

Here's the full quote, as published by The Hill:

But also from the standpoint of sexual assault. When the lights are on, when you have light that shines, the righteousness, if you will on those types of acts. So from the standpoint of how you really affect people's lives, fossil fuels, is going to play a role in that. I happen to think it's going to play a positive role.

Even with as more women come forward to say they have been sexual harassed or sexually assaulted by high-profile men, it's unclear why Perry chose to bring up the topic at the event. He didn’t say if anyone on his trip mentioned sexual assault.