This week's civic action to-do list: Justice for Indigenous Communities, DVAM, Sexual Assault in the Military
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Follow JWI this month for more information and resources on the intersection of domestic violence and economic security.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, it’s time to take action!
Tell your senators to pass a strong, bipartisan Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) now
A Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) must be passed that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation & gender identity; urge your House reps to pass this act with this clause included
Register for & watch the Interfaith Coalition's (IC's) webinar on COVID’s impact on survivors.
Save-the-Date! VAWA Day of Action on October 20th
The time is long overdue to thoroughly examine the cultural genocide and deaths caused by the U.S. Indian Boarding School Policy which ripped Indigenous children from their families from 1819 into the 1990s.
Today, Indigenous People’s Day, email your members of Congress and tell them to co-sponsor The Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policy in the United States Act (S. 2907/H.R. 5444). This act will create a commission that will:
document the human rights violations
create recommendations for reparations to the Indigenous communities that were harmed
provide a forum for the victims to share their experiences
Sexual assault in the military is still not taken seriously – in 2020, only 0.5% of military sexual assault reports resulted in a sex-offense conviction for the perpetrator. Until military supervisors aren’t in control of the reporting process, survivors will continue to fear retaliation, reports will be ignored, and perpetrators won’t be found guilty.
The Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act (H.R.4104/ S.1520) will overhaul the reporting process and increase accountability for offenders; email your members of Congress and tell them to pass this legislation. Additionally, watch JWI’s recorded webinar that discusses the scope of the problem and recommendations for change.
Happening at JWI
JWI released the most comprehensive national study on domestic violence and the Jewish community ever undertaken. As the domestic violence field moves toward survivor-centered and community-based responses to violence, the Jewish community can choose to do the same. Check out our full report.