Paid Leave, Sexual Assault in the Military, Nassar Senate Hearing: Your civic action to-do list for 9-20-21
3. Even before the pandemic, workers and their families lost a combined $2 billion in wages each year due to a lack of paid family and medical leave.
In a nutshell: Paid family and medical leave is key to the long-term health, stability, and prosperity of women, particularly women of color.
Take action: Today, on Paid Leave National Day of Action, email your Congress members and tell them to support paid leave in the Build Back Better bill.
2. Twenty-year-old Army soldier Vanessa Guillen reported sexual harassment by fellow soldiers - but instead of getting justice, she was murdered.
In a nutshell: Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) have proposed bipartisan legislation to overhaul military sexual assault policies, but still face some opposition in Congress.
Take action: Attend JWI’s webinar on the findings of the Independent Review Commission assessing the military’s sexual assault response; attend the virtual joint interview with Ernst and Gillibrand on Thursday, September 23rd at 1:00 p.m. ET; and email your senators to tell them to support this bipartisan legislation.
1. Larry Nassar, doctor for the U.S. national gymnastics team, was allowed to assault hundreds of young women with impunity for nearly two decades.
In a nutshell: As became clear during the Senate hearing last week, USA Gymnastics, the U.S. Olympic Committee, and the FBI failed to take action on complaints, which allowed the abuse to continue.
Take action: Read the statement from JWI CEO Meredith Jacobs, and email the Senate to encourage them to support an independent investigation of the FBI and U.S. Olympic Committee, as well as an additional hearing to understand the full scope of the Justice Department’s failure to act and prosecute the FBI investigators.
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.