Rangel Marks 3rd Anniversary of Violence Against Women Reauthoization Act
Statement
Congressman Charles B. Rangel, who represents the 13th Congressional District that includes Upper Manhattan and parts of the Bronx, released the following statement in commemorating the 3rd Anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Reauthorization which was signed on March 7, 2013:
"The Violence Against Women Act represents a firm promise: no woman should ever be forced to feel unsafe or insecure in her own home and no woman should ever suffer in silence in the face of domestic violence. The expansion of the law closes federal loopholes for stronger criminal anti-trafficking statutes and reaches LGBT, Native American and immigrant victims. VAWA also provides the resources for more rape kits, a national registry of forensic evidence from sexual assault cases, temporary housing for victims, and learning opportunities to address domestic violence on American college campuses.
The United States has reduced intimate partner violence against men and women, decreased the personal and social cost of gender-based violence, and changed the prevailing culture around this violence since the time of the original 1994 version of VAWA. Although there is a decrease in overall domestic violence, many minority communities are still affected. Sadly 64% of Hispanic women say they have personally known a victim and 30% have personally been victimized. More than 40% of African American women report coercive contact of a sexual nature by age 18. On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. Clearly there is still more to be done.
As a co-sponsor for the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization, I want to assure that there is an environment where women do not fear to leave an abusive situation for income, employment, or financial reasons. We have proven this type of violence can be prevented but it is our responsibility that every victim of intimate partner violence, sexual assault or any other type of violence should have somewhere to turn."
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