One week into the annual UN Commission on the Status of Women meeting, it seems possible that the negotiations will once again end at an impasse.
There is critical importance in documenting acts of violence against women—systematically, carefully, and over time.
This year marks the 15th Anniversary of V-day and the 40th Anniversary of Roe V. Wade. So I thought it would be appropriate to draw a connection between the silenced stories of the 1 in 3 women worldwide who have experienced physical and sexual violence and the silenced stories of 1 in 3 women in the United States who will have an abortion in their lifetime.
I recently held a seminar on rape in war with military lawyers from across the world. We talked through a number of obstacles to prevention and elimination of sexual violence, but at the end of the seminar everyone agreed that the biggest of them all is silence.
For domestic violence (DV) survivors who rely on the state courts for a wide range of services, budget cuts can add an extra layer of difficulty to their pursuit of a life free from abuse.
As corporations expand their philanthropic giving, an epidemic that affects millions of American women is being pushed further out of sight: Domestic violence. The economic toll that domestic abuse exacts on our social service system, workplaces, and law enforcement is in the billions.
VAWA. PRENDA. Aderholt. What do all these words (and acronyms) have in common? They represent the escalating attacks on the health and rights of women of color, and immigrant women in particular.
Unfortunately, House Republicans are advancing H.R. 4970, which would undermine the core principles of VAWA. H.R. 4970 is not VAWA – it goes against the intent of VAWA which is to protect victims – if anything, this bill will only make it worse for victims.
The government cannot let abusers continue to have control. The government is supposed to protect victims. VAWA saved my life, and I hope it is left as it is now so it can continue to save other women in dangerous situations.
On Saturday, our protest is not symbolic. It is a beginning. It is a declaration. From now, until we win the full liberation of women, this war on women will be resisted with conscience, anger, imagination, massive mobilization, and relentless determination to turn the tide.
