Violence Against Women Act Manipulation

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), was started back when President Clinton was in office, in September of 1994. It was drafted by Senator Biden's office and was designed to help women in domestic violence and rape situations. The Department of justice, included this new act and opened the Office on Violence Against Women.

It seems that VAWA is presently being manipulated by Congress. They are trying to pass a reconfigured Act which is different from the original Senate version. The new VAWA version that Congress wants to pass will benefit rapists and domestic violent husbands, plus minimize other services that women victims need. As it stands, the original Act is currently expired and Congress seems determined to drastically change it and drag it out until 2013, instead of passing it immediately.

The following is what VAWA helps with:

• Community violence prevention programs
• Protection for victims who are evicted from their homes because of events related to domestic violence or stalking
• Funding for victim assistance services, like rape crisis centers & hotlines
• Programs to meet the needs of immigrant women and women of different races or ethnicities
• Programs and services for victims with disabilities
• Legal aid for survivors of violence

We encourage you to contact your member of Congress, as we did, by calling or emailing them. Let them know that you want the original Senate version, of VAWA, drafted by Biden, to continue and to be immediately signed by President Obama!

For more information and how you can help go to NOW
For the history of VAWA go to Wikipedia