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Violence Against Women Act

Violence against women continues to be a grave epidemic in countries around the globe, touching the lives of women and girls across the United States and in every nation. Violence in the home and community devastates the lives of millions of women each year. According to the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, violence against women is defined as "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life."

Violence Against Women in the United States
Critical legislation related to serving and protecting victims of domestic violence includes the Violence Against Women Act, which was signed into law in August of 1994 as a part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (PL-103-322). 

VAWA has the following goals:

• Enhancing judicial and law enforcement tools to combat violence against women
• Improving services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking
• Services, protection, and justice for young victims of violence
• Strengthening America’s families by preventing violence
• Strengthening the healthcare system’s response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking
• Housing opportunities and safety for battered women and children
• Providing economic security for victims of violence
• Protection of battered and trafficked immigrants

VAWA was reauthorized by Congress in 2000, and again in October 2005, when it passed the Senate unanimously. The bill was signed into law by President George W. Bush on January 5, 2006. The latest version for the first time also recognizes male victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. VAWA will be up for reauthorization in 2010.

»Read a Congressional Research Report on the history of VAWA. (PDF)

Since VAWA was first passed into law in 1994, reporting of domestic violence has increased by 51 percent, the rate of non-fatal intimate partner violence against women has decreased by 61 percent, and the number of women killed by an intimate partner has decreased 26 percent. Furthermore, research estimates that VAWA saved nearly $14.8 billion dollars in net averted social costs in its first six years.

Yet domestic violence remains a pervasive threat to women, children, families, and communities throughout the nation. Despite the great strides that have been made in combating domestic violence due to VAWA, in 2006 the National Domestic Violence Hotline received 215,244 calls—but 29,021 of those calls went unanswered due to lack of resources.

Essential domestic violence programs currently in effect and crucial new programs that are part of the reauthorization are dependant on receiving full funding in FY 2008 to ensure that lives are saved and that violence is prevented in our communities. The President's Budget Request for FY 2008 proposes funding for VAWA programs at $421.6 million, which is $406.4 million less than authorized by Congress in 2006. Also, the budget plan requests Congress to consolidate all Criminal Justice Services programs and funding into one competitive block grant. This would create inefficiencies and competitions for already stretched funds, and create a large administrative burden on the Office on Violence Against Women.

Furthermore, domestic violence emergency programs are proposed to be funded at $125 million, $50 million less than authorized, making 2008 the sixth year in a row that this emergency shelter program will be under-funded.

Congress has the responsibility to fully fund VAWA for each year of its authorization. VAWA programs have proven to be vital in addressing the epidemic of violence against women, and are dependent on the funding.