The Wake

One in four women could be the victim of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence or stalking. But whether we realize it or not it affects everyone.

The Sheila Wellstone Institute led a briefing Sept. 8 at the University of Minnesota about the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The act is set to expire Sept. 30. The Institute is encouraging small group dialogue across the nation about the correlation between VAWA and safety in communities. The hope is that after the discussions, people will be motivated to contact their representatives about the bill.

VAWA was first passed in Congress in 1994 as part of the Crime Bill. It addressed four kinds of violence that mostly happens to women: domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. It was renewed and revised in 2000 with more focus on rural, elderly and immigrant women. The Act made it possible for immigrant women to petition to stay in the U.S. if they were victims of domestic violence. “Men often use women’s immigrant status … and say, ‘I’ll deport you if you report me,’” says Kiersten Stewart, Policy Director of Family Violence Prevention Fund.

VAWA is now up again for reauthorization in Congress. This time, a group of law enforcement, victim service providers, community leaders, and survivors of violence have recommended changes for VAWA 2005. The proposed Act has a greater emphasis on violence prevention. Although men were far outnumbered by women at the University briefing, VAWA 2005 calls for targeted interventions with boys and teens. The bill also changes the way criminal justice and legal systems respond to cases of sexual assault and domestic violence.

It is foreseeable that Congress could rest VAWA on the backburner in the face of some recent overwhelming issues such as Hurricane Katrina. Julianna Koob, director of the Sheila Wellstone Institute, noted that three domestic violence shelters were part of the evacuation process. Stewart made reference to the effects of the catastrophe and the lack of government involvement. “The people who bared the worst of the hurricane lived in areas where they were most likely to make under $10,000 a year and least likely to own a car,” says Stewart. The contrast was shown between the way President Bush handled things in the aftermath of the hurricane, and how Paul and Sheila Wellstone would have handled it if they were still alive. Paul would’ve called for everyone to help…Sheila wouldn’t have taken no for an answer,” says Stewart. Stewart described how Paul Wellstone knew that legislation could change the lives of ordinary people.

The teeter totter of whether VAWA expires or is reauthorized, will definitely change lives in either case. If the bill expires, advocacy programs across the nation will be hit with the dire effects. Among these programs would be the Aurora Center at the U, which has received half of its funding from VAWA for the last six years. The Center currently offers legal advocacy services on campus, such as going to court with people and filing orders of protection. The Center also does outreach and education which reaches more than 3,000 people a year. “These [services] would go away if VAWA is not reauthorized,” says Roberta Gibbons, Associate Director of the Center. Gibbons assures the program would not completely disappear, but it would be more limited. There would still be a 24-hour crisis line available, but the staff would be reduced to only two people instead of five. With fewer people working on campus to end sexual assault and relationship violence, one can only speculate as to what those effects would be. In 2004, there were 264 incidents of sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking and hate crimes reported on or near campus. The bill includes efforts to make this number go down.

VAWA previously focused primarily on violence against adult women, and the 2005 version has an additional section on violence against children and youth. According to the Department of Justice, young women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest rate of non-fatal intimate partner violence. Yet, 14 states do not include dating violence in their definition of domestic violence. This means that it is very difficult for young survivors of violence in those states to receive the services that they need, such as orders of protection. The children and youth sections of VAWA 2005 would teach youth ways to prevent violence. It would also create educational programs for people working with youth on how to recognize and respond to victims and perpetrators of sexual assault and violence. Specifically, there would be training for health care providers who, according to Stewart, “may be the first to recognize abuse.”

The proposed VAWA would fund federal health programs to improve services to victims. After an incident of sexual assault, a survivor has very limited time to go to the hospital to get an evidence kit put together and to receive emergency contraception. There should not be any interference that would delay these services during that crucial 72-hour time period. All too often, women face obstacles during this crucial period.

In addition to improving inadequate health programs, there would be a focus on specific groups of women. American Indian and Alaska Native women are battered, raped and stalked more than any other group of women in the United States. One in three women in both groups will be raped and six in ten will be physically assaulted in their lifetimes. A section of the proposed VAWA addresses tribal programs that would make sure perpetrators of violence would be held accountable for their crimes. The bill outlines a required annual consultation between Indian nations and the Department of Justice. A Tribal Division would also be created within the Office on Violence Against Women.

It has taken 11 years for legislation to get where it is today in terms of services and justice for survivors of sexual assault and violence. On Sept. 30, we can either take steps forward or huge steps backward.

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