LatinaLista — With Democrats and Republicans seemingly at each other’s throats all the time, it’s hard to imagine that they can come together for any issue — but thankfully they have.
A bipartisan bill was introduced on February 4, 2010 called the International Violence Against Women Act of 2010 (IVAWA). Sponsoring the bill are: Senators John Kerry, Barbara Boxer, Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe and Representatives Bill Delahunt, Ted Poe and Jan Schakowsky.
Yet, getting a bill introduced in Congress isn’t the same as getting it passed and recent reports of women being stoned in the Mideast makes immediate passage of the bill all the more urgent. For that reason, a very unique advertising campaign was jointly launched recently by Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) and Women Thrive Worldwide.
Advertisement urging Congress to pass the International Violence Against Women Act.
The groups have taken out advertisements in Politico to urge Congress to pass the bill.
The legislation would help end violence through prevention programs that help women and girls get an education or improve their economic opportunities; programs that support men and boys in being partners in ending violence; health and support programs for survivors; and legal and judicial training programs that work to hold abusers accountable. It would fund local community-based organizations working to end violence in their own countries. It would also make the issue a diplomatic priority by requiring a U.S. response to outbreaks of gender-based violence – like mass rapes in the Congo – within six months.
The campaign doesn’t just include the advertisements. There is also the Pass IVAWA web site that features information about the bill, a list of the 150-member coalition supporting the campaign and basic facts about violence against women and girls.
For example:
The United Nations Development Fund for Women estimates that at least one of every three women globally will be beaten, raped, or otherwise abused during her lifetime. In most cases, the abuser is a member of her own family.
Sexual violence is a pervasive global health and human rights problem. In some countries, approximately one in four women and girls over age 15 may experience sexual violence by an intimate partner at some points in their lives, and rates of sexual abuse by non-partners range from one to 12 percent over the course of a woman’s lifetime.
“We have a real opportunity to do something about this appalling problem which is a horrendous violation of women’s human rights,” said Ritu Sharma, Co-Founder and President of Women Thrive Worldwide. “Violence against women affects all aspects of women’s lives, from their personal health and safety to their ability to earn a living and care for their families. We urge Congress to pass I-VAWA this year to show that the U.S. is fully prepared to invest in a safer future for women, which is the best way to ensure safety and security for all.”
