March 4 , 2005

Together We Can Stop Domestic Violence

March 7-11 is Stop Violence Against Women Week

Columbus, Ohio – Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (R-Upper Arlington) today released the following for editorial review.

“Take a look around the world and you will find countries and cultures where women are nothing more than mere possessions. They do not have the social status of men and they are treated in such a manner. No education. No jobs. No voting rights. In some countries women can’t even leave their homes without a male family member.

As Americans we are fortunate to live in a society that is free and respectful of women’s rights. It is easy for us to look across the world and single-out countries and cultures for their public abuse of women. But it is hard for us to talk about the dark and dangerous world that too many women here in our country live in everyday as they are abused by their male partners.

More than two million women in the United States are physically abused every year. Nearly one out of every four college-age women is a victim of rape or attempted rape. Almost half of all immigrant women experience some form of domestic violence. Who wouldn't be appalled by these statistics? 

This must be stopped.

Next week, organizations around the country will band together in our nation’s capital for “Stop Violence Against Women” week. The effort, led by the Lifetime Television Network, will include policy experts, business leaders, celebrity activists, service providers and survivors. The goal is to raise public awareness about domestic violence and ensure that stopping abuse of women is a national priority.

Before the end of the year, Congress will take up legislation to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. This law was originally enacted in 1994, but expires at the end of 2005. In the coming months, Congress will have an opportunity to work with anti-violence experts and advocates across the country to evaluate the current VAWA program and identify ways it can be strengthened and improved. We'll be looking at extending current programs and implementing new programs to stem domestic violence and child abuse, provide resources for battered women's shelters, conduct rape prevention and education efforts, reduce sexual abuse of runaway and homeless street youth, and implement community programs to prevent domestic violence and sexual assaults on campuses.

As well, in the next month, I plan to introduce legislation to fight human trafficking, the most harmful and dehumanizing modern day form of slavery. Each year, nearly 20,000 people, primarily women and children, are trafficked inside our borders and held against their will. While the U.S. has made historic progress in the past three years to combat the trafficking of women and children, we can and should do more. The legislation I plan to introduce will provide law enforcement with additional tools to help victims of human trafficking, increase the availability of support services for victims, and strengthen prosecution and punishment of those who traffic, purchase and exploit victims. 

Domestic abuse, sexual assault, stalking, trafficking and other violence against women affects all of us. It costs our families, communities and workplaces more than $5.8 billion annually and has immeasurable physical and emotional costs to our children.

Recently, Columbus Children’s Hospital and the Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence partnered together to launch the first facility of its kind in the U.S. - a healing place and resource center for victims of domestic violence and child abuse in our area. The Center for Child and Family Advocacy, located on E. Livingston Avenue across from Children's, will provide child assessment, prosecution and education services for abused children and their families, as well as support, treatment and referrals for victims of domestic abuse.  I am honored to have helped take this private endeavor to another level by forming a public/private partnership between the center and the federal government. Last year, I secured federal money  to pay for the center’s operational expenses and enable the center to launch several innovative programs over the next few years. One such program will be the development of a Center for Education and Training for prosecutors who can become experts in the areas of child sexual abuse and domestic violence. I plan to continue to pursue federal dollars that we know will be invested wisely - by fighting child abuse and domestic violence in our community. 

We all must understand, however, that government and regulations alone cannot truly end the violence. Everyone in our community, including men, must speak out and take action.