Tahirih Urges Support for the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA)
Violence against women is a worldwide pandemic—at least one out of every three women worldwide is beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime. You can join Tahirih and take part in this international campaign against gender violence by urging your Representative in Congress to cosponsor the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) (H.R. 5927). I-VAWA is groundbreaking bipartisan legislation that for the first time places a US foreign policy priority on ending violence against women globally.
Some of you may have seen the powerful recent New York Times op-ed by Nicholas Kristof (“Terrorism That’s Personal,” November 30, 2008) about acid attacks and wife burnings common in parts of Asia to subjugate women and girls. The passage of I-VAWA would mean so much to women like Naeema Azar—about whom Kristof wrote—the mother of three whose husband punished her for divorcing him by attacking her with acid and leaving her face horribly disfigured. The hope that I-VAWA would offer women like Naeema and others around the world includes:
- Increased efforts to prevent violence against women during conflict and in humanitarian settings
- Increased pressure and capacity-building to find perpetrators and bring them to justice
- Support of vital services for survivors
- Increased economic and educational opportunities that would reduce the vulnerability of women at risk of violence
We need to build even stronger bipartisan support and momentum when I-VAWA is reintroduced in the newly-elected Congress in 2009. So please begin reaching out to your Representatives now to take action and help transform the lives of women and girls around the world.
I-VAWA was developed by Women Thrive Worldwide, Amnesty International USA, the Family Violence Prevention Fund and members of Congress with the help of organizational partners. It was drafted in consultation with more than 150 groups including US-based NGOs such as Tahirih, UN agencies, and 40 women’s groups across the globe
