The politics of VAWA, local hate crime stats, and tomorrow's women leaders: Your civic action to-do list for 11-11-19
3. We cannot afford the continued politicization of VAWA's reauthorization. JWI is surprised and disappointed that bipartisan discussions have broken down after years of work, and by Senator Jodi Ernst’s (R-IA) floor statement characterizing the House passed VAWA (H.R. 1585) as a ‘partisan political statement.’
In a nutshell: The VAWA Reauthorization bill passed by the House of Representatives last spring (H.R. 1585) is a bi-partisan bill which passed by a vote of 263-158 (including 33 Republicans). The House bill was informed by critical input from survivors, advocates, law enforcement, first responders, faith leaders, and other community members.
Take Action: JWI and the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence will continue to work with all Senators who are interested in sponsoring a bill that meets the needs of survivors. If separate bills are introduced in the coming weeks to reauthorize VAWA, we will evaluate each on its own merits, according to how close a companion it is to H.R. 1585 and on its responsiveness to the needs identified in the field.
2. In the year since the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue, the FBI has arrested 13 people for plotting attacks against the Jewish community.
In a nutshell: With hate crimes on the rise, it is imperative that all of us report incidents of hate to the appropriate authorities. Rhetoric can very easily escalate to violence.
Take Action: Learn if your city or county are providing hate crime statistics to the FBI. If they do not, get together with a group of friends and schedule a meeting with your local city council member. Email Dorian for talking points!
1. Inclusive civic and political structures are key to encouraging women’s political participation worldwide. When women and girls are absent from civic engagement, their needs are not taken into account and their opportunities decrease.
In a nutshell: The bipartisan Girls LEAD Act introduced last week seeks to support and expand civic engagement and political leadership of adolescent girls around the world. This work will ultimately foster new generations of empowered women leaders and improve the effectiveness of U.S.-led governance initiatives.
Take Action: Email your Senators and tell them to join Senators Collins (R-ME) and Cardin (D-MD) in co-sponsoring S. 2766.