Justice Department Commemorates Fifteen Years of the Violence Against Women Act

/PRNewswire/ -- The Department of Justice today commemorated the 15th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which was signed into law on September 13, 1994. This critical legislation was created in recognition of the severity of the crimes associated with domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. The anniversary also marks 15 years since the creation of the Department's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), which administers financial and technical assistance to communities around the country to facilitate the creation of programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic and dating violence, sexual assault and stalking.

"We've made tremendous progress since the Violence Against Women Act first passed in 1994, but we have much more to do. We cannot rest. It will take all of us to fulfill the promise to end domestic violence and sexual assault," said Vice President Joe Biden, the author of the landmark Violence Against Women Act.

"The Violence Against Women Act forever changed the way this nation meets our responsibility to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. It has been an essential building block in the Justice Department's work to end violence against women," said Attorney General Eric Holder. "It is only in working together that we can make a difference and save lives, and the Justice Department will continue to take every possible step to enforce laws protecting victims of violence and to provide resources to aid victim service providers."

"Without a doubt, VAWA would never have happened without the steadfast commitment and work of the countless advocates, coalitions and community partners who worked tirelessly for federal legislation to mark the importance of the issue and provide vital resources," said Catherine Pierce, Acting Director of OVW. "In the past 15 years, countless lives have been saved, the voices of survivors have been heard, families have been protected, and the criminal justice community has been trained on the complex responses to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking."

The anniversary marks the start of a year-long anniversary effort to raise public awareness on issues around violence against women, to reinforce and build coalitions among federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and victim services communities, and to reinforce the goal of ending domestic and dating violence, sexual assault and stalking for men, women and children across the country.

In recognition of the severity of the crimes associated with gender-motivated violence, Congress passed VAWA as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. VAWA is comprehensive legislative designed to end violence against women through criminal penalties, civil remedies, federal grant programs, and research and was reauthorized in 2000 and 2005. Since the passage of VAWA, there has been a paradigm shift in how the issue of violence against women is addressed in communities throughout the nation.

OVW was created to specifically implement VAWA and subsequent legislation. Currently, OVW administers two formula grant programs and 17 discretionary grant programs, all of which were established under VAWA and subsequent legislation. The office has also maintained a 15-year partnership with state, local and tribal governments, coalitions, law enforcement, prosecutors, judges and court personnel, victim advocates, health care providers and national organizations.

Every day, VAWA funding makes a difference in how communities across America help victims and hold offenders accountable. For example, subgrantees receiving funding awarded by states through OVW's STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program reported that, in calendar year 2007:

-- More than 505,000 victims were served;
-- Over 1,201,000 services were provided to victims; and
-- More than 4,700 individuals were arrested for violations of protection
orders.

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American Women Confident in the Face of Economic Gloom

RJ Note: Yep, its tough. Yep, we are spending less. Yep, we are confident. Yep, we are women! We've come a long way---

/PRNewswire/ -- Women are spending less on microwaves, gifts, hobbies, gourmet coffees, video games, and even organic foods than they did just two months ago. And with the holidays approaching, they are about to get stingier still. But despite this stark outlook, fully 95 percent of all American women feel they will "make it" through the recession and 64 percent feel 2009 will find them financially "better off." These are among the findings of a recent study conducted for Fleishman-Hillard International Communications by the Harrison Group.

In "Women, Power & Money - The Shift to the Female-Driven Economy," a survey of more than 1,600 women conducted initially in early September and again in early November 2008, women acknowledged being financially worse off than they were a year ago, but felt sure they would be able to manage. The study is a large-scale, nationally representative survey that codifies the power of women in the marketplace.

In the September study, 79 percent of women stated that their opinion determines family financial decisions, while 91 percent claim to be the manager of their family's quality of life. More than half pay the family bills and about half are the shared or primary breadwinners.

"It's clear from this research that we are now living in a 'mom-ocracy' -- women are setting the agenda," said Nancy Seliger, president, U.S. East region, at Fleishman-Hillard, the global communications firm that commissioned the study. "We believe the most successful marketers will address concerns of the spouse, the children, and even friends of women. When these individuals are well informed, it is easier for women to build consensus within their families."

"These women hold the consumer economy in their hands," said Jim Taylor, Ph.D., vice chairman of the Harrison Group, a marketing and research consulting firm. "Their decisions over the next year will determine the economic health of the country."

The study also examined how women make decisions. For instance, women rank both "articles in magazines and newspapers" and "expert recommendations" as more influential than advertising. Moreover, even as the contemporary American woman controls a greater share than ever of household spending, she leads more by consensus than by decree.

Regarding the near-term economy, the study revealed much more about American women:

-- 79 percent plan to cut back on gift-giving this holiday season
-- 56 percent are spending less than last year eating out
-- 51 percent are spending less than last year on toys and games
-- 49 percent are spending less in November than in September on
entertainment
-- 50 percent are spending less in November than in September on shoes,
handbags, and accessories
-- 86 percent are delaying purchases until items go on sale

"Retailers may look at these numbers and cringe," said Seliger. "But family level cost controls give women confidence they will be able to manage through these tough times."

Women in the study acknowledged there will be some stress in charting their courses over the coming months, but they have strategies in place to cope with that as well. The majority plan to spend more time with friends and family, exercise and eat healthier.

The margin for error in the master survey is plus or minus 2 percent, and in the November survey the margin of error is plus or minus 4 percent.

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