The “Violence Against Women Act” (VAWA) has had a profound impact on the fight to end violence against women since it was first authorized in 1994. The Justice Department has stated that from 1993 to 2010, the rate of intimate partner violence has declined 67 percent.
When a woman is in an abusive relationship, the effect is much broader than just the physical and emotional damage inflicted on her and her family. Understanding this reality led to the initial development of the VAWA in 1994. Once a bill with strong bipartisan support, Congress failed to renew the VAWA with critical new protections for nearly two years.
I urge Congress to act immediately to reauthorize the pending critical VAWA bill.
Diana Boyd
Rumson