Testimony before Congress
Name
Institution
Date
Violence Against Women Act
Violence Against Women Act has facilitated great strides towards addressing various forms of violence against women. The legislation has been critical in addressing problems in the society such as sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking and sexual assault (NNEDV, 2014). The idea of a coordinated community response is one of the major visible and critical achievements of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Most notably, it has assisted communities to respond to gender challenges. It has also enabled communities to collaborate with diverse backgrounds to share information and apply their responsibilities to enhance responses to and control of violence against women (Boba, & Lilley, 2009). VAWA has enabled victims to come forward to report domestic violence.
The Sexual Assault Services Program that is provided for by VAWA has enabled the country to respond to domestic and sexual abuse effectively and thoroughly (Boba, & Lilley, 2009). Therefore, victims are likely to have a chance to report and seek for help. Most importantly, VAWA has facilitated the creation of crisis centers, transitional housing, and emergency shelters that are of great help to victims against women and their children (NNEDV, 2014). Therefore, an American woman today is more safe and secure than she used to be a decade ago.
Violence Against women act is a landmark piece of legislation that has provided practical solutions to promote the legal system and criminal justice response. Therefore, it has helped the communities to report sexual and domestic violence (Crossland, Palmer, & Brooks, 2013). In this regard, its reauthorization is beneficial to communities because it develops new services that cater for the needs of communities.
Moreover, VAWA has provided for National Resource Center on Workplace Responses. This has been of great help to the employees because it ensures that their workplaces are safer. In addition, the legislation has supported employees who are victimized in workplaces to get justice (NNEDV, 2014). Besides, Violence Against Women Act has promoted the improvement of healthcare system response to sexual and domestic violence against violence.
The legislation provides for education and training of healthcare workers. This has been instrumental in strengthening the response of health care system to sexually abused victims (NNEDV, 2014). In this regard, effective and timely response has drastically reduced the violence in Alaska Native women and American Indian. In addition, through funding research and establishment of tribal registry it has enabled easy tracking of offender of sex assaults (Boba, & Lilley, 2009).
Violence against women act has become our country cornerstone for the response of gender-based violence and offering lifesaving services to domestic violence victims and their children (Crossland, Palmer, & Brooks, 2013). The legislation has created the National Domestic Violence Hotline, which has been instrumental in supporting victims of violence (Boba, & Lilley, 2009). The provisions of this legislation have ensured that victims of domestic violence have national hotline call where they can seek for help.
VAWA is critical legislation for our nation because it guarantees the safety and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender survivors of violence. For instance, Violence Against Women Act 2013 prohibits discrimination of LGBT when they seek protection and help (Crossland, Palmer, & Brooks, 2013). Most importantly, the legislation ensures that LGBT victims of violence have access to necessary services and protection to encounter trauma and find safety (Boba, & Lilley, 2009). Therefore, all victims of sexuality minorities are not denied access to the assistance, support and protection that they need.
The legislation now acknowledges LGBT as underserved population. Besides, organizations that are serving LGBT can receive funding that will go a long way in serving the minority groups (Crossland, Palmer, & Brooks, 2013). This is a remarkable achievement because state government can use grant funds to enhance responses of domestic violence among LGBT people.
Despite these great achievements, more need to be done to accomplish the aims of VAWA. For instance, Congress should support the addition of more funds to VAWA programs such as Violence Against Women Prevention and Prosecution Programs (NNEDV, 2014). In addition, due to increase in the number of recipients of these funds, domestic violence programs operate with limited resources and fewer staff (Boba, & Lilley, 2009). When victims are seeking for help, most of them are in emergency conditions hence must be able to receive timely and effective support.
In this regard, adequate funds are now more necessary than ever for the programs to be effective. If adequate funds are provided, domestic violence will be energized to continue working in satisfaction of the needs of all victims. From previous years, the domestic violence program has been receiving decreased funding (NNEDV, 2014). Furthermore, more than 80 per cent of the state documented that their programs encountered reduction and cuts in funding from city resources and local country. Private donations have also decreased their funding. At the same time, the demand of these programs across the country has been increasing (Boba, & Lilley, 2009). Research documents that domestic violence programs requests have recently increased. When this condition is combined with decrease in funding, it develops an unconceivable gap in efficiency.
Reports indicate that domestic violence shelter has been experiencing challenges to continue to operate. In addition, non-residential programs are limiting their working hours and services (Crossland, Palmer, & Brooks, 2013). Unfortunately, coalitions and programs have fired some staff and now operate with unfilled job positions. Majority of these coalitions reduce staff due to shortage of funds, which led to reduced victim services.
Additionally, more than 20 local domestic violence centers have been forced to close entirely. In doing so, most domestic victims suffer from the effects of these reductions. Consequently, they are left with no alternative other than returning to the same abuser or having no home (NNEDV, 2014). For instance, survey findings show that one day in United State, there are more than 65 000 victims of domestic violence and their children receive domestic violence program services. Nonetheless, the programs were unable to meet services for more than 9 000 victims and children.
Therefore, the Congress should provide more funds to domestic violence programs provided for by Violence Against Women Act. The increase will not only save lives of victims of domestic violence but also will save money by minimizing future violence as well as other related social cost (NNEDV, 2014). In this regard, Congress should have acknowledged the importance of allocating more funds toward domestic violence services in the country (Boba, & Lilley, 2009). By providing more funds access to sexual assault services for instance in rural America will be enhanced.
In conclusion, Congress should pass appropriate amendment to provisions of violence against woman so that homicide of girls and women who suffer from abusers during stalking, dating and sexual assault get assistance, transitional housing, legal assistance and appropriate services for their children (NNEDV, 2014). In this regard, Honorable members should increase the allocation of funds to these programs that will go a long way in achieving a violence-free society.
References
Boba, R., & Lilley, D. (2009). Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Funding a Nationwide Assessment of Effects on Rape and Assault. Violence against women, 15(2), 168-185.
Crossland, C., Palmer, J., & Brooks, A. (2013). NIJ’s Program of Research on Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women. Violence against women, 19(6), 771-790.
NNEDV,. (2014). National Network to End Domestic Violence | Funding & Appropriations. Nnedv.org. Retrieved 19 August 2014, from http://nnedv.org/policy/issues/funding.html
NNEDV,. (2014). National Network to End Domestic Violence | Violence Against Women Act. Nnedv.org. Retrieved 19 August 2014, from http://nnedv.org/policy/issues/vawa.html