Georgia NOW Statement on Domestic Violence Awareness Month October 2023
Authored by Anna Chimo
President Triana Arnold James
In 1987 October was established as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the United States (first introduced in 1981 by the National Coalition Against Domestic violence.) Domestic violence takes place in our nation every minute of every day and this was meant to bring light to the injustices and horrors women and children were facing at home.
Prior to the ‘Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women’ that was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly domestic violence was considered a private matter best handled by the parties involved. Police intervention often times leading to no action or further abuse against the victim.
President Bill Clinton signed the ‘Violence Against Women Act’ (VAWA) into law on September 13, 1994 following this move from the UN. Due to VAWA, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, intimate partner violence against women decreased 53% between 1993 and 2008.
There is still a long road ahead, according to the National Intimate Partner Sexual Violence Survey of 2010, 1 in 6 women suffered some kind of sexual violence induced by their intimate partner during the course of their lives. And this statistic is likely low due to the severe under-reporting of intimate partner violence that still occurs today.
VAWA is constantly under threat and the benchmarks are always changing. It has been reauthorized 4 times since its initial passage. But throughout these last 39 years it has been allowed to lapse as well as been stripped of many protections, while also adding new. President Biden tried to add the boyfriend loophole in 2021, which offered protections to all intimate partners regardless of their marriage or domestic status. However, that version was defeated and when it was ultimately reauthorized in 2022 the measure was gone.
Violence against women is an historical as well current problem, this violence includes physical, mental, financial, emotional, harassment, agism, racism, homophobia and many more. The United States and the State of Georgia has a long way to go in the name of protection.
Sources:
https://gcfv.georgia.gov/resources/data
https://domesticviolence.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence_Against_Women_Act
https://www.justice.gov/ovw
