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Hearing on Capitol Hill reintroduces IVAWA   
Oct. 26, 2009 — “The reality is that violence against women is a humanitarian tragedy; a vicious crime; a global health catastrophe; a social and economic impediment; and a threat to national security,” pronounced Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, pictured right, to open the congressional hearing on the International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA). “Violence against women knows no borders, nor class, race, ethnicity or religion.” The October 21 hearing reintroduced IVAWA to the House Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight. IVAWA, if passed, would incorporate solutions against violence such as programs to change public acceptance of violence into U.S. foreign assistance programs. Congresswoman Schakowsky was joined in her testimony about the importance of ending violence against women by Congresswoman Linda Smith; Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s issues, Melanne Verveer; Executive Director of Breakthrough, Mallika Dutt; and Nicole Kidman, Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations’ Development Fund for Women. Ambassador-at-Large Verveer clarified that violence against women is not only a woman’s issue; it affects both men and women because it is a “humanitarian issue, a development issue and a national security issue.”
In India, a recent survey showed that a woman who suffers one violent incident on average misses seven days of work. And, according to the Inter-American Development Bank, violence against women can account for a one to five percent loss in a country’s gross domestic product. Congresswoman Smith offered testimony highlighting the fact that there are many places where gender-based violence is not only ignored, but culturally accepted, perpetuating the cycle of violence against and poverty for young women. The good news is that we can change how the world deals with violence against women. Mallika Dutt told the compelling story of a group of teenagers who took action. They visited a neighbor every night around the time her husband got home. These visits saved her from her husband's nightly beatings. Nicole Kidman offered that the empowerment of women “is the engine for social change.” She told the story of a woman in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who set up an NGO that combats violence against women with a grant she earned from the United Nation’s Trust Fund Grant, which is partially funded by the U.S. After the testimonies, Chairman of the Subcommittee, Congressman Delahunt, and ranking member, Congressman Rohrbacher, echoed what they heard by stating that violence against women should be a priority and needs to be addressed in the U.S. foreign policy. CEDPA is part of the coalition on IVAWA and takes action to combat violence against women by empowering youth to become advocates. CEDPA educates girls and boys to recognize and understand causes of violence against women, understand its impact on families and develop skills to negotiate within their relationships. Learn more about CEDPA’s youth programs. |
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