Contact NCC News Service: 212-870-2228 | E-mail mailto:pjenks@ncccusa.org | Most Recent Stories | NCC Home
Contact NCC
News Service: 212-870-2228 | E-mail mailto:pjenks@ncccusa.org
| Most Recent
Stories | NCC Home
|
NCC joins the call to Congress to reauthorize Washington, December 12, 2011 – The National Council of Churches has joined nearly 150 national and regional ecumenical, interfaith, and advocacy organizations to call on Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA).
Churches and faith organizations have been actively supportive of VAWA, said the Rev. Ann Tiemeyer, program director of the National Council of Churches Women's Ministries Program.
“The church not only has a role in calling upon our Government to reauthorize and fund VAWA,” Tiemeyer said. “We also need to be safe places where women can come for assistance and healing. We need to preach out against all forms of intimate partner violence and work in partnership with our government to accomplish this goal.”
Organizations signing on to a letter to members of Congress today said, “Since its original passage in 1994, VAWA has dramatically enhanced our nation’s response to violence against women. “More victims report domestic violence to the police and the rate of non-fatal intimate partner violence against women has decreased by 63 percent,” the letter said.
“The sexual assault services program in VAWA helps rape crisis centers keep their doors open to provide the frontline response to victims of rape. VAWA provides for a coordinated community approach, improving collaboration between law enforcement and victim services providers to better meet the needs of victims.
“These comprehensive and cost-effective programs not only save lives, they also save money,” the letter said. “In fact, VAWA saved nearly $12.6 billion in net averted social costs in just its first six years.” The letter said reauthorization of VAWA will “build upon
its successes and continue to enhance our nation’s ability to hold
perpetrators accountable and keep victims and their children safe from
future harm.”
Signers of the letter to Congress include: Alianza-National Latino Alliance to End Domestic Violence Alternatives to Family Violence American Association of University Women American College of Nurse-Midwives American Probation and Parole Association American Psychiatric Association Americans Overseas Domestic Crisis Center ASHA for Women Asian & Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence
ASISTA Immigration Assistance Association of Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Reproductive Health Professionals Black Women’s Health Imperative Break the Cycle Casa de Esperanza Church of the Brethren Coalition of Labor Union Women Deaf Abused Women’s Network Disciples Justice Action Network Disciples Women of the Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ) Domestic Violence Report Feminist Majority/Feminist Majority Foundation Futures Without Violence (formerly the Family Violence
Prevention Fund) General Federation of Women’s Clubs Institute on Domestic Violence in the African-American
Community International Association of Forensic Nurses Japanese American Citizens League Jewish Council for Public Affairs Jewish Women International Joyful Heart Foundation Legal Momentum MANA – A National Latina Organization Men Can Stop Rape
Mennonite Central Committee Methodist Federation for Social Action National Alliance to End Sexual Violence National Association of Counties National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators National Coalition Against Domestic Violence National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs National Congress of American Indians Violence Against
Women Task Force National Council of Jewish Women National Council of Negro Women National Council on Independent Living National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges National Council of Women’s Organizations National Dating Abuse Hotline National Domestic Violence Hotline National Housing Law Project National Institute of Crime Prevention National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health National Legal Aid and Defender Association National Network to End Domestic Violence National Organization for Women National Organization of Sisters of Color Ending Sexual
Assault National Women’s Political Caucus National Resource Center on Domestic Violence National Resource Sharing Project NETWORK – A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby 9to5, National Association of Working Women Nursing Network on Violence Against Women International Planned Parenthood Federation of America Rape Abuse and Incest National Network Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law Service Women’s Action Network
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the Tribal Law and Policy Institute Union for Reform Judaism United Church of Christ United Voices of Men Witness Justice Women’s Information Network Women’s Law Project Women of Color Network YWCA
State and local sign-ons: Advocates Against Family
Violence, AYUDA, Inc.,
Beyond Survival Sexual Bridges of Choices Domestic Violence
Solutions, Christian Women Alive,
Crime
Victim and Sexual Crisis Center and Women’s
Shelter, Crisis Council, Cross Roads Safe House, Fort Collins, CO DC Coalition Against
Domestic Violence,
District Domestic and Sexual Violence Services, Red Lodge, MT Domestic Violence Project,
Drogheda Project, Family Shelter Service,
Family Services, Human Options, Inc., Gateway Family Services,
Life Source Consultants,
Inc., Mass 2-1-1, Meriden-Wallingford Chrysalis, Meridan, CT Middleway House, Monsoon United Asian Women, IA My Sister’s Place, My Sister’s Place, New York Asian Women’s
Center, Peace Over Violence, Rainbow Response Coalition,
Ramona’s Way, Rare Diamond Minds,
The Retreat, SoLatina, Someplace Safe, South Suburban Family
Shelter, S.T.A.C.I.E. Foundation,
The
Survivors and Advocates For
Empowerment, Trainings, Transitions,
Teams, Turnaround Coaching, Inc.,
Voices of Hope,
VIBS—Family Violence and
WEAVE— Women Against Abuse, Women in Transition, YWCA Alaska, YWCA, YWCA Lancaster, YWCA
DV/SA YWCA
DV/SA YWCA Greater YWCA Greater YWCA Greater Triangle YWCA, YWCA Metropolitan Chicago,
YWCA
of the
YWCA,
|
The
Act, which creates an office within the Department of Justice to develop
federal policies around issues relating to domestic violence, dating
violence, sexual assault, and stalking, is scheduled for reauthorization
this year.