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Call to Action: Stand with Women Across the U.S. for a Day of Policy Action for the Violence Against Women Act
After years of negotiations, Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Richard Durbin (D-IL), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) have reached a deal on a framework to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) with key improvements and protections to better meet the needs of abuse survivors. They plan to introduce the bill in late January. However, the senators are asking for people to voice support now. While they finalize the bill, Americans can build support for it among our senators. On January 19, MWEG will join the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence and women’s and interfaith organizations across the U.S. in calling on our representatives to…
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The Violence Against Women (VAWA) Act
What is the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)? VAWA is bipartisan legislation, originally passed in 1994, that provides protections for women and children suffering from violence and abuse. It supports comprehensive, trauma-informed, and cost-effective responses to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. This includes prevention, education, prosecution, and survivor services programs at the federal, tribal, state, and local levels. Some of these services and programs include: Efforts, including funding, to address rape kit backlogs Housing assistance, counseling, and legal clinics for survivors Data collection on stalking and domestic violence Increased protection for immigrants, trafficking victims, and LGBTQ+ victims Authority for Native tribes to enforce tribal laws pertaining to…
