Barbara Lee Commemorates 15th Anniversary of Passage of Violence Against Women Act
For Immediate Release
September 11, 2009
Contact: Nicole Y. Williams
(202) 225-2661
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee released the following statement commemorating the 15th Anniversary of the passage of the Violence Against Women Act.
“Sunday, marks the 15th Anniversary of the Violence Against Women’s Act being signed into law. This bill drafted in 1994 by then Senator Joseph Biden provided $1.6 billion to enhance investigation and prosecution of the violent crime perpetrated against women, increased pre-trial detention of the accused, imposed automatic and mandatory restitution on those convicted, and allowed civil redress in cases prosecutors chose to leave unprosecuted. Since then the bill has been reauthorized in both 2000 and 2005.
“Since the bill’s passage, there has been nearly a 25 percent increase in domestic violence reporting rates by women and a 37 percent increase in reporting rates by men. The number of individuals killed by an intimate partner has decreased by 24 percent for women and 48 percent for men.
“The passage of this legislation was a landmark achievement for women across this country and around the world – giving them the protection under the law that they needed and deserved. Yet there is still much work that needs to be done on this issue.
“Around the world one in three women has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime. Here in the United States, nearly one third of American women report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives. And as we all know a substantial number of cases of violence and abuse never get reported.
“As one who understands domestic violence from a deeply personal basis, I remain committed to working to ensure that all women both here and abroad are protected from the egregious act of domestic violence. As a member of the California Assembly, I wrote the Violence Against Women’s Act for the State of California and have also co-sponsored numerous bills in Congress.
“It is my hope that as we commemorate this milestone of the passage of the VAWA, that all people recommit themselves to fighting the scourge of violence against women.”
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