Nichelle Mitchem

Passport to Progress

SAVE THE DATE
Event:Passports to Progress

Passports to Progress Join the International Center for Research on Women on the eve of International Women’s Day for its first Passports to Progress event in support of its new campaign, Turning Point: Changing the Course for Adolescent Girls Worldwide. A diverse panel of leading experts in the fields of gender, rights and development will discuss the many ways in which violence against women – especially young women and girls – in non-conflict settings has become a global epidemic.

Moderator:
Andrea Mitchell NBC Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent and host of MSNBC’S “Andrea Mitchell Reports”

Panelists:
Michael Elliott, President/CEO of ONE
Christy Turlington Burns, Founder of Every Mother Counts and Director/Producer of “No Woman, No Cry”
Stella Mukasa, Director of Gender Violence and Rights at ICRW
Ravi Verma, Regional Director, Asia at ICRW
With a special video presentation by Kavita Ramdas, Ford Foundation’s Regional Representative in New Delhi.
When: Thursday, March 7, 2013 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Where: National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW, 13th Floor, Washington, DC 20045
This event is free to attend, but registration is required.

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Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

March is National Women’s History Month. Each year, in honor of National Women’s History Month, March is filled with workshops and conferences that highlight the accomplishments of women in various facets of life such as science, literature, government, and medicine.

The 2013 National Women’s History Month theme, Women Inspiring Innovation through Imagination, honors generations of women who throughout American history have used their intelligence, imagination, sense of wonder, and tenacity to make extraordinary contributions to the STEM fields.

The National Women’s History Project (NWHP) sets the theme and coordinates the observance activities for National Women’s History Month throughout our nation. Often, women of color are overlooked in mainstream approaches to our nation’s history. The National Women’s History Project champions their accomplishments and leads the effort to write women back into history. It has been reported that the Women’s History Month programs and events often have had wide-ranging effects not simply on individuals but also on our nation as whole.

With an emphasis on positive role models and the importance of women from all backgrounds, the NWHP has developed a nationwide constituency of individuals and organizations that understand the critical link between knowing about historical women and making a positive difference in today’s world. It is believed by many researchers and others that recognition of the accomplishments of women has a notable impact on the development of self-esteem for girls and young women.

For further information about National Women’s History Month related activities or the National Women’s History Project, please see NWHP’s web site, http://www.nwhp.org.
Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

 

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National Women's History Month | March 2013

Activism and Scholarship: A Conference Honoring Amy Swerdlow and Gerda Lerner

Activism and Scholarship: A Conference Honoring Amy Swerdlow and Gerda Lerner
15th Annual Women’s History Conference at Sarah Lawrence College

DATE: March 1-2, 2013
FEE: Free and Open to the Public
LOCATION: Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY

March is Women’s History Month. This March, Sarah Lawrence College will be hosting the 15th annual Women’s History Conference entitled “Activism and Scholarship: A Conference Honoring Amy Swerdlow and Gerda Lerner”. Save the Date.

Featuring: The keynote Address by Women’s Historian Alice Kessler Harris, distinguished professor at Columbia University and Author of A Difficult Woman The Challenging Life and Times of Lillian Hellman

Round table discussion about the life and work of Amy Swerdlow and Gerda Lerner moderated by Blanche Wiesen Cook, author of The Biography of Eleanor Roosevelt Volumes 1 and 2.

Amy Swerdlow (1923-2012), graduate and former director of the women’s history graduate program at Sarah Lawrence College was a scholar, activist, teacher, mentor and mother. She was a founding member and a significant force in Women Strike for Peace, a grassroots movement that greatly influenced the end of above ground nuclear weapons testing, especially emphasizing the effect this had on children’s health. The organization went on to protest the Vietnam War. Amy Swerdlow sat on the national board of the antiwar group known as Clergy and Laity Concerned, chaired the steering committees of two antiwar coalitions of women’s groups, the Jeannette Rankin Brigade and the Women’s Emergency Coalition, and was a member of the New York State coordinating council of the National Women’s Political Caucus. Amy Swerdlow was the quintessential activist scholar.

Gerda Lerner (1920-2013) was co-founder of the women’s history graduate program at Sarah Lawrence and a pioneer in the field of women’s history. It was out of the 1979 Summer Institute at Sarah Lawrence organized by Gerda and the Women’s Action Alliance that Women’s History Week, later Women’s History Month, was born. Gerda Lerner leaves a prestigious legacy of scholarship. She was committed to making visible the ignored and debased, debunking the mythology of the unimportance and inaction of the underrepresented. Her groundbreaking Black Women in White America: A Documentary History, for example, forever shattered elite ideas of who makes history and whose history matters.

The Fifteenth Annual Women’s History Conference at Sarah Lawrence College honors Gerda Lerner and Amy Swerdow’s life and work as committed and indomitable activist/scholars by making issues of peace and justice its central theme.

We still face unending war, economic injustice, potential environmental catastrophe, militarism, institutionalized racism, hunger, homophobia and sexism among other issues. By taking a multi-disciplinary approach, we will explore issues of global peace and justice from a variety of perspectives. We seek to understand the ways in which activists have organized around these issues now and in the past and ask the following questions: What are the issues activists have faced in the past and how might we learn from previous movements? How do current issues intersect and interact and how can activists combine forces to confront these problems and work for social change? With the spirit of Amy Swerdlow and Gerda Lerner as our legacy, can we find the energy and focus to move forward together?

Panel Discussions Include:
Uses of Space: Women’s Global and Local Resistance
Women’s Educational Activism
Transnational Peace Activism
Women’s Efforts for Peace in the U.S. and Great Britain
Women’s LGBT Activism
Women Power for Peace: Linkages in Domestic and International Anti-War and Anti-Imperialist Activism During the Vietnam Era
For more information contact:
Tara Elise James
[email protected]
(914) 395-2405
Register:

http://www.slc.edu/graduate/programs/womens-history/conference/registration.html

Source(s): National Women’s History Project Blog
Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art

 

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Gerda Lerner Dies at 92

Women's history pioneer Gerda Lerner dies at 92

International Violence Against Women and Girls Conference

Protection From Abuse

Protection From Abuse

What barriers does an abused person face when attempting to end a violent relationship? As a long-time advocate for victims of domestic violence, Nichelle Mitchem recognizes that the complexity of the legal system and the absence of legal assistance cause some victims to stay in an abusive relationship. By understanding of the importance of the access to legal information, assistance, and often representation for battered women, Mitchem has sought to enhance the accessibility to legal services for victims of domestic violence for much of her career.

Whether serving as an administrator of legal service programs for battered women or as the executive director of a domestic violence agency, Nichelle has been asked to present on: the dynamics of domestic violence, available supportive services, and the legal aspects of domestic violence. “Like shelter and counseling, access to legal information and assistance serve to empower abused persons,” Mitchem says. When discussing domestic violence with various audiences, participants often pose the question, “Why doesn’t the victim just leave?” In response, Mitchem says, “Most victims want to leave and many try. Even under the best of circumstances, leaving a relationship is difficult. Violent relationships are complex; and victims in these relationships are faced with many barriers to leaving. These barriers include the lack of knowledge of: civil and criminal protections afforded to them under the law as well as available legal resources. Additionally, the abusive partner occasionally uses intimidation and/or violence to stop the victim from severing the relationship. As a result, victims often fear retaliation for ending the relationship.”

Mitchem asserts that, “Victims often stay, because they fear that the abuser will find her and kill/harm her, the children, other relatives, or friends. They stay with the hopes that the violence will end, because they are financially dependent on the abuser, lack alternative housing, or are trying to keep the family together. They stay hoping change is possible. It takes strength and determination to survive violence. However, as time goes on, surviving an abusive relationship becomes more difficult.” This fact is particularly true for economically disadvantaged battered women and abused women with disabilities. Mitchem has sought to enhance access to legal services for this particularly vulnerable population by understanding of the importance of legal information, assistance, and representation for many battered women, particularly those who are indigent, homeless, and/or disabled. During her tenure as executive director, domestic violence agencies have launched and/or expanded on legal service programs that assist clients in negotiating legal and other challenges that might arise as they seek to eliminate domestic violence from their lives. These very necessary programs assist survivors of domestic violence to build long-term safety and security for themselves and their children.”

For information about available legal services and other programs for victims of domestic violence in your community, please visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website at http://www.thehotline.org.

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

Human Rights Day 2012

As aptly stated on the United Nation’s website, Human Rights Day presents an opportunity, every year, to celebrate human rights, highlight a specific issue, and advocate for the full enjoyment of all human rights by everyone everywhere. December 10, 2012, marks the sixty-fourth (64th) anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. Some argue that the last two years have been remarkable in the area of human rights activism and there is a lot to celebrate – while there is a great deal that still needs to be done. There is no better moment to recommit ourselves to the work of those who came before us. It’s our turn to work to preserve human rights for our children and for all future generations.

This year, the spotlight is on the rights of all people — women, youth, minorities, persons with disabilities, indigenous people, the poor and marginalized — to make their voices heard in public life and be included in political decision-making.

These human rights — the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, to peaceful assembly and association, and to take part in government (articles 19, 20 and 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) have been at the centre of the historic changes in the Arab world over the past two years, in which millions have taken to the streets to demand change. In other parts of the world, the ninety-nine (“99%”) percent made their voices heard through the global Occupy movement protesting economic, political and social inequality.

To help celebrate International Human Rights’ Day, it is important for each of us to join the global conversation and join the human rights movement.

Join the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and United Nations Association of the United States of America, in celebrating the many accomplishments this year and the work we still have ahead of us.

Source(s): United Nations.

Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art

World AIDS Day 2012

 

World AIDS Day is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV. December 1 is World AIDS Day. Over the past quarter-century, twenty-five (25) million lives have been lost to HIV/AIDS, but remarkable strides have also been made in halting the disease's progression.

Only 28 percent of the 1.2 million Americans living with HIV have the infection under control, increasing the risk that they will spread the disease to others, U.S. health officials said Tuesday. One in five U.S. adults infected with HIV are not aware that they have the virus. For years, people can be infected with the AIDS virus without manifesting symptoms. Of those who are aware, only half receive ongoing medical care and treatment for the illness, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in its latest report on HIV in America.

Fortunately, HIV/AIDS is preventable. Nevertheless, each year, HIV/AIDS continues to destroy countless lives. HIV/AIDS takes the greatest toll among African-Americans, Latinos and MSM of all races. Fighting the spread of HIV and AIDS has been an uphill battle for over 30 years. This disease has disproportionaly affected the black community. One in sixteen African American men and one
in thirty-two African American women will be diagnosed with HIV during their lifetime. The rate of new infections among blacks is seven times the rate among whites. Among Hispanics, the rate of new HIV infections is three times as high as that among whites. And according to a recent CDC analysis, the HIV diagnosis rate among MSM is forty-four (44) times that of other men.

One out of four HIV cases in our nation are among women and girls, thirteen years of age and older; and two out of three of these women and girls are African-American. “Socioeconomic and cultural factors—including poverty, discrimination, and inadequate access to health care, among others—often render black women more vulnerable to HIV than other racial/ethnic groups. Many women of color are paralyzed by fear—of being stigmatized, of abandonment by their partners, and of deportation by immigration authorities.

Fear of being stigmatized by HIV/AIDS appears to have at least some relationship to people’s decisions about whether or not to get tested for HIV. But most important for women of color who are often the family caregiver and breadwinner, they are afraid of their families’ reactions to either their HIV status or disclosure of sexual orientation. What we know about the social and cultural impact on Black women’s lives is that HIV-related stigma and denial regarding how the disease is spread, particularly among self-identified heterosexuals who are positive, and stigmatization about the disease remains an enormous barrier to effectively fighting the epidemic.”

Given these grim statistics, this pressing public health issue challenges each of us to be “our sisters’ keepers.” This World AIDS Day, you can choose to make a difference in the lives of others. Toward that end, take action in the fight against HIV and raise awareness of its impact on women and girls. Get tested. Encourage every female within your sphere of influence to be tested for HIV/AIDS. Additionally, you can plan or support HIV prevention efforts in your community.

The fight against HIV and AIDS is a fight we can one day win. We must work together to end this insidious epidemic and eradicate this disease. With an equal amount of conscience, mind, heart, and collective action, each of us can educate members of our community about the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the importance of knowing your HIV status. For further information about HIV/AIDS, visit the Centers for Disease Control’s website at www.cdc.gov.

Source(s): MSN. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), HIV Surveillance Report: Diagnoses of HIV infection and AIDS in the United States and Dependent Areas, 2009.; Evaluate website. Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative (AAALI). MSNBC.com, “Few Americans With HIV Have Virus Under Control”, November 29, 2011.

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

What does economic autonomy have to do with domestic violence?

Domestic violence continues to pose a clear and present danger to the health and well-being of countless victims. An important factor to consider when pondering the question why doesn’t the victim leave is her/his economic ability to live independently.  Studies indicate that one of the best predictors of whether a victim will be able to stay away from her abuser is her degree of economic independence. However, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking often negatively impacts victims’ ability to maintain employment.

Abusers often seek to exert  financial control their partners by actively interfering with their ability to work, including preventing their partners from going to work, harassing their partners at work, limiting the access of their partners to cash or transportation, and sabotaging the child care arrangements of their partners. [2] Studies indicate that between 35 and 56 percent of employed battered women surveyed were harassed at work by their abusive partners. [3]

Victims of domestic violence also often miss work due to injuries, court dates, and safety concerns requiring legal protections. Victims of intimate partner violence lose 8,000,000 days of paid work each year–the equivalent of over 32,000 full-time jobs and 5,600,000 days of household productivity.[4] According to a 1998 report of the General Accounting Office, between 1/4 and 1/2 of domestic violence victims surveyed in 3 studies reported that they lost a job due, at least in part, to domestic violence.[5] Women who have experienced domestic violence or dating violence are more likely than other women to be unemployed, to suffer from health problems that can affect employability and job performance, to report lower personal income, and to rely on welfare.[6]

Domestic violence also affects perpetrators’ ability to work. A recent study found that 48% of abusers reported having difficulty concentrating at work and 42% reported being late to work. Seventy-eight ( 78) percent reported using their own company’s resources in connection with the abusive relationship. More than 35 percent of stalking victims report losing time from work due to the stalking [11] and 7 percent never return to work. [12] The Bureau of National Affairs has estimated that domestic violence costs United States employers between $3,000,000,000 and $5,000,000,000 annually in lost time and productivity, while other reports have estimated the cost at between $5,800,000,000 and $13,000,000,000 annually. [13]

United States medical costs for domestic violence have been estimated to be 1,000,000,000 per year.[14]  Ninety-four percent of corporate security and safety directors at companies nationwide rank domestic violence as a high security concern.[15] Already, 25 States and the District of Columbia have laws that explicitly provide unemployment insurance to domestic violence victims in certain circumstances; however, these laws vary in the extent to which they effectively address the special circumstances of victims of domestic violence and very few of the laws explicitly cover victims of sexual assault or stalking.[16]

Five States provide victims of domestic or sexual violence with leave from work to go to court, to the doctor, or to take other steps to address the violence in their lives, and several other States provide time off to victims of crimes, which can include victims of domestic and sexual violence, to attend court proceedings. However, many States have no employment-protected leave provisions that allow victims of domestic or sexual violence to take the time off they need to address the violence. [17] Domestic violence victims and third parties who help them have been subjected to discriminatory practices by health, life, disability, and property and casualty insurers and employers who self-insure employee benefits who have denied or canceled coverage, rejected claims, and raised rates based on domestic violence.

Although some State legislatures have tried to address these problems, the scope of protection afforded by the laws adopted varies from State to State, with many failing to address the problem comprehensively. Moreover, Federal law prevents States from protecting the almost 40 percent of employees whose employers self-insure employee benefits.

Sources: Listed below in the footnote section. Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art

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1.  EVAN STARK & ANNE FLITCRAFT, WOMEN AT RISK: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND WOMEN’S HEALTH xvii, 10, 202 (1996).

2.  JODY RAPHAEL & RICHARD M. TOLMAN, TRAPPED IN POVERTY, TRAPPED BY ABUSE: NEW EVIDENCE DOCUMENTING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND WELFARE (1997).

3.  U.S. GEN. ACCT. OFFICE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVALENCE AND IMPLICATIONS FOR EMPLOYMENT AMONG WELFARE RECIPIENTS 19 (Nov. 1998).

4.  Costs of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the United States, Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2003.

5.  U.S. GEN. ACCT. OFFICE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVALENCE AND IMPLICATIONS FOR EMPLOYMENT AMONG WELFARE RECIPIENTS 19 (NOV. 1998).

6.  DETIS T. DUHART, U.S. DEP’T OF JUSTICE, VIOLENCE IN THE WORKFORCE, 1993-1999 2 (DECEMBER 2001).

7.  GREG WARCHOL, U.S. DEP’T OF JUSTICE, WORKPLACE VIOLENCE, 1992-96 2 (July 1998).

8.  DETIS T. DUHART, U.S. DEP’T OF JUSTICE, VIOLENCE IN THE WORKFORCE, 1993-1999 2 (DECEMBER 2001).

9.  GREG WARCHOL, U.S. DEP’T OF JUSTICE, WORKPLACE VIOLENCE, 1992-96 4 (July 1998).

10. E. Ellis, B. Atkeson and K. Calhoun, An Assessment of the Long Term Reaction to Rape, 50 J. ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY No. 3, 264 (1981).

11. Costs of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the United States, Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2003.

12. PATRICIA T JADEN & NANCY THOENNES, NAT’L INST. OF JUST. & CTRS. FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, STALKING IN AMERICA: FINDINGS FROM THE NATIONAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN SURVEY 11 (April 1998). PATRICIA TJADEN & NANCY THOENNES, NAT’L INST. OF JUST. & CTRS. FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, STALKING IN AMERICA: FINDINGS FROM THE NATIONAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN SURVEY 11 (April 1998).

13. Joan Zorza, Women Battering: High Costs and the State of the Law, CLEARINGHOUSE REV., Vol. 28, No. 4, 383, 385 (1994); National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Costs of Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the United States, Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2003.; “Intimate Violence Costs Billions,” ABC News, 4/29/2003.

14. Joan Zorza, Women Battering: High Costs and the State of the Law,  LEARINGHOUSE REV., Vol. 28, No. 4, 383, 385 (1994).

15. JOSEPH A. KINNEY, NAT’L SAFE WORKPLACE INST., DOMESTIC VIOLENCE MOVES INTO WORKPLACE (1994).

16. NOW LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND, VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN FACT SHEETS ON STATE LAWS: UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE, ( at http://www.nowldef.org/html/issues/vio/laws-ui.shtml (April 1, 2003 (states include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming); State Net 2003 Bill Tracking HI S.B. 931 (Hawaii Governor signed law on 5/19/2003); State Net 2003 Bill Tracking MT S.B. 180 (Montana Governor signed provision on 4/14/2003 to make law permanent); StateNet 2003 Bill Tracking IL H.B. 3486 (passed both Houses 6/1/03) ) (Please note: Legal Momentum is the new name of NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund.  The new link to the fact sheet is http://www.legalmomentum.org/issues/vio/ui.pdf)

17. NOW LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND, VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN FACT SHEETS ON STATE LAWS: UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE, ( at http://www.nowldef.org/html/issues/vio/laws-ui.shtml (April 1, 2003 (states include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming).

VAWA NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION – NOVEMBER 13TH, 2012

Annually, 12.7 million men and women in the U.S. are physically abused, raped or stalked by their partners.[i] That is approximately the number of people in New York City and Los Angeles combined.[ii] That is 24 people every minute.[iii] These are people we know.

We know that all victims need protection and it is important to tell the world why on the National Day of Action. Congress must pass the real Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). As aptly stated by the National Task Force to End Domestic Violence, doing nothing is not an option with VAWA.

It’s unacceptable that VAWA resources have been jeopardized for almost two (2) years. The election is over and it’s time. Congress has some unfinished business. They MUST PASS the Violence Against Women Act NOW! We must get Congress to finish the work of passing a VAWA that safely and effectively protects ALL victims.

Now that the election is over, Congress is back to work to finish up as much as they can before the end of the year.  VAWA must be on the list of work that gets done by the end of December!  Come January, the current bill expires and we will need to start again to draft a brand new bill, losing precious time and lives in the process.

Calls to our legislators in Washington, DC about VAWA’s authorization are important. Our calls are essential and will determine whether or not the Real VAWA passes. With that said, the National Task Force to End Domestic Violence has issued “A Call to Action!” on Wednesday, November 13^th, 2012 to reauthorize the real VAWA. In these final days Congress must see a groundswell that cannot be ignored.

Every person concerned about the health and well-being of women is needed now to raise their voice and tell Congress not to go backward but move forward to reauthorize the Real VAWA. It is important to get a Violence Against Women Act passed that protects ALL victims. The calls, emails, letters, and tweets to date have worked and now is the time to take it a step further.  It is important to show Congress how important the real Violence Against Women Act is to victims, survivors, advocates, and concerned citizens across the country.[iv]

Please tell your friends, families and everyone you know who cares about eradicating domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking that . All victims need protection and it is important to tell the world why on the National Day of Action. Congress must pass a Violence Against Women Act!

Don’t forget to tweet about VAWA using the hashtags  #ReauthorizeVAWA, #RealVAWA and #VAWA.

Tell Congress doing nothing is simply not an option!

Pre-election, everyone did a great job getting the word out and holding our elected officials to their obligation to address the concerns of all people.  Now, we have to get them focused specifically on passing VAWA in the next six weeks!

Commit to ending domestic and sexual violence with this concrete action you can take to support VAWA:

TAKE ACTION TOMORROW!

Save Wednesday, November 14^th, 2012, for a VAWA day of ACTION. “By the end of the day, every Member of Congress should hear a unified message: Work out the differences, pass VAWA before this Congress ends and you go home for the holidays.  Do not let VAWA die and miss this chance to help victims find shelter, help and justice.  There is precious little time left and victim’s lives and futures are in the balance.”[v]

“Join #PassVAWA2012 Social Media Campaign”[vi]

“Be a part of a ground-breaking campaign to leverage the full power of social media in fighting for the Reauthorization of VAWA!”[vii]

“Join the #PassVAWA2012 Facebook Photo Campaign to tell Congress that it’s time to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) !  It’s easy, just snap photos of you, your friends, your colleagues, & sympathetic strangers holding up signs saying why we need to Pass VAWA NOW!  Submit your photos via email to [email protected] or tweetpic with #PassVAWA2012.”[viii]

For more details and sample campaign tweets check out the tool kit on www.4VAWA.org!

Source(s): National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) Action Alert. National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (NTF) Action Alert

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[i] National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) Action Alert. National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (NTF) Action Alert.

 

[ii] National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) Action Alert. National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (NTF) Action Alert.

 

[iii] National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) Action Alert. National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (NTF) Action Alert.

 

[iv] National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) Action Alert. National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (NTF) Action Alert.

 

[v] National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) Action Alert. National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (NTF) Action Alert.

 

[vi] National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) Action Alert. National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (NTF) Action Alert.

 

[vii] National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) Action Alert. National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (NTF) Action Alert.

 

[viii] National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) Action Alert. National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (NTF) Action Alert.

 

Will Single Women Decide The Outcome Of The 2012 Presidential Election?

The 2012 Presidential Election is close and election day is fast approaching. The next United States President will select several appointees for the United States Supreme Court. The Romney/Ryan ticket opposes abortion and Planned Parenthood. Obama/Biden takes an alternative position on abortion and Planned Parenthood.

“An Investor’s Business Daily/TIPP poll released this week shows that single women favor Obama sixty-three (63) to twenty-three (23) percent, while married women favor Romney fifty-one (51) to forty-one (41) percent. The Voter Participation Center found that single women are the fastest growing large voting group in the country when it comes to sheer numbers.”[i]

About fifty-five (55) million unmarried women will be able to vote in the 2012 Presidential Election. There are more female eligible voters than male, and the proportion of eligible women who will vote is expected to surpass men. With that said, many political analysts argue that single women will determine the outcome of the 2012 Presidential Election and the next as well. As a result, this Presidential Election, women voters have been heavily courted by both presidential candidates.

Will women allow the Romney/Ryan ticket overturn historic legal questions that have been decided concerning women’s health? Decades ago, women’s right to self-determination concerning their health were settled by the US Supreme Court. Under a Romney/Ryan Administration, we may be forced to relitigate settled legal questions about a woman’s right to birth control and abortion. Will well settled legal questions about a woman’s right to self-determination be deemed unconstitutional under a Romney/Ryan administration or will we as a nation return the Obama/Biden ticket to the White House for a second term and in doing so continue to move forward in the area of women’s rights?

Take action that can and will change the future. On November 6, 2012, seize the opportunity to cast your vote. As was aptly stated by President Johnson when discussing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, “The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men.”

Each election day, countless eligible voters deprive themselves of their voting right through complacency or apathy. Don’t be among them—exercise your right to vote.

Source (s):Wikipedia. “On Election Day, Single Women Could Sway The Vote”, Elizabeth Flock U.S. News & World Report, November 2, 2012.

Photo Credit: Microsoft Clip Art

 

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[i]  “On Election Day, Single Women Could Sway The Vote”, Elizabeth Flock U.S. News & World Report, November 2, 2012.

 

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Nichelle Mitchem Interviewed for the Book, “Crimes Against Women”

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). This month, we will highlight the prevalence of violence in the lives of women and children. We will also discuss available resources for victims and their advocates.

Even today, domestic violence continues to pose a clear and present danger for countless women. Nichelle Mitchem, long-time advocate for battered women and their children, was interviewed by author Gerda Gallop-Goodman for her book, “Crimes Against Women” on the topic of violence against women.

Goodman and Mitchem agree that domestic violence is not a private family matter as was once thought by some but rather a crime against society. Nichelle Mitchem discussed the prevalence of domestic violence and the often long-standing detrimental effects of domestic violence on the victims’ health and well-being.

Nichelle addressed the importance of individual and group counseling in the process of rebuilding the victim’s life. Nichelle Mitchem highlighted the very necessary and life changing work undertaken by domestic violence agencies. Every day, domestic violence agencies all across our nation assist clients to rebuild their lives.

Photo credit: Microsoft Clip Art