Christians, Activists Laud Congressional Renewal of VAWA
Christian and activist groups applauded Congressional renewal of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which now awaits President Bush's signature.
Christian and activist groups applauded Congressional renewal of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which now awaits President Bush's signature.
The measure received overwhelming approval by both the Senate and the House over the weekend, reauthorizing nationwide efforts against domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking.
"This second renewal of the Violence Against Women Act is proof positive of lawmakers' commitment to protect women in the U.S.," said Dr. William F. Schulz, Executive Director of Amnesty International USA in a released statement. "While this country has made considerable strides toward combating abuse in the last decade, four women still die at the hands of their partners and 700 are raped or sexually assaulted each day. It is particularly gratifying to note the current legislative emphasis on early intervention, a critical component of saving lives."
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Congress approved a five-year extension that will provide approximately $3.9 billion for existing programs and new ones including a focus on health care, early intervention, the development of culturally- and linguistically-specific services for communities, and the broadening of service provisions to include children and teens.
"The passage of the Violence Against Women Act ensures that communities have the tools they need to intervene in and ultimately prevent violence in our homes," said Lynn Rosenthal, President of the National Network to End Domestic Violence. "Congress has taken an important step forward in saving lives.”
Young Women's Christian Association called it a "tremendous victory" for the victims of violence. VAWA was one of the Christian group's main policy goals for the year.
"It's very exciting to see VAWA passed before Congress goes home for the year," said a YWCA released statement.
Since the original 1994 legislation, states have passed more than 660 laws to protect individuals from domestic violence and sexual assault, significantly reducing domestic violence. Incidents of nonfatal domestic violence have dropped 50 percent from 1993 to 2001. Sexual assaults and rapes perpetrated against individuals 12 years old and older have also decreased by 50 percent in that same time period.
