Office of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Fact Sheet: Preventing and Responding to Violence Against Women and Girls Globally

Progress Toward a World without Violence Against Women and Girls

Today, President Obama issued an Executive Order on Preventing and Responding to Violence Against Women and Girls Globally to further enhance the Administration’s efforts to advance the rights and status of women and girls, to promote gender equality in U.S. foreign policy, and to bring about a world in which all individuals can pursue their aspirations without the threat of violence. 

Violence against women and girls cuts across ethnicity, race, class, religion, education level, and international borders.  Although statistics on the prevalence of violence vary, the scale is tremendous, the scope is vast, and the consequences for individuals, families, communities, and countries are devastating. 

An estimated one in three women worldwide has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime.  Intimate partner violence is the most common form of violence experienced by women globally.  Other forms of violence include human trafficking, sexual violence, including when used as a tactic of war, and harmful traditional practices, such as early and forced marriage, female genital mutilation/cutting, and “honor” killings.  

Today’s Executive Order, which creates an interagency working group co-chaired by the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), directs departments and agencies to implement the new United States Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence Globally.  This Strategy was developed by the Department of State and USAID in coordination with other relevant U.S. Government departments and agencies.  The Executive Order will ensure that agencies prioritize this issue in their implementation of U.S. foreign policy, and that work in this area is evaluated.  Recognizing that this is a long-term commitment, the Order directs the interagency working group to update or revise the Strategy after three years.    

The Strategy outlines a comprehensive, multi-sector approach to prevent and respond to gender-based violence through:

• Increased coordination of gender-based violence prevention and response efforts among United States Government agencies and with other stakeholders;
• Enhanced integration of gender-based violence prevention and response efforts into existing United States Government work;
• Improved collection, analysis, and use of data and research to enhance gender-based violence prevention and response efforts; and
• Enhanced or expanded United States Government programming that addresses gender-based violence. 

In addition to the Department of State and USAID, the working group will include representatives from:

• the Department of the Treasury;
• the Department of Defense;
• the Department of Justice;
• the Department of Labor;
• the Department of Health and Human Services;
• the Department of Homeland Security;
• the Office of Management and Budget;
• the National Security Staff;
• the Office of the Vice President;
• the Peace Corps;
• the Millennium Challenge Corporation;
• the White House Council on Women and Girls; and
• other executive departments, agencies, and offices, as designated by the Co-Chairs. 

Building on an Existing Foundation

The new Strategy will marshal the United States’ capacity and expertise to establish a coordinated, government-wide approach to preventing and responding to this issue.  It builds upon an existing foundation and will complement and reinforce multiple ongoing Administration efforts, including:

• The Policy Guidance on Promoting Gender Equality to Achieve our National Security and Foreign Policy Objectives issued by the Secretary of State;
• The updated policy on Gender Equality and Female Empowerment issued by USAID;
• The U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security, and Executive Order 13595 directing the Plan’s implementation;
• The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, including the Gender-based Violence Scale-Up Initiative and Evaluation; and
• The President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.

The United States Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence Globally can be found HERE and HERE.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 31, 2012

 Op-ed by Vice President Biden: An Issue Beyond Debate: Congress Should Act Now to Protect Women

The full text of the op-ed by Vice President Joe Biden is printed below. The piece, published online today by McClatchy Newspapers and in hard copies tomorrow, can be read HERE.

An Issue Beyond Debate: Congress Should Act Now to Protect Women

By Vice President Biden

I’ve spent a lot of years in Washington, and in the past, I had always found that even when partisanship was at its worst, there were still certain issues that rose above the normal course of politics. These days, unfortunately, even that precept is being challenged.

Protecting victims of domestic violence, an issue that has always enjoyed bipartisan support and should be well beyond debate, has become the center of one in Congress. And women across the nation are now at risk.

Let me explain what’s happening:

In 1994, I wrote the Violence Against Women Act, which established several critical new protections: first, it provides law enforcement with new tools to prosecute domestic violence crimes and put offenders behind bars. Second, it helps victims find safe places to stay so they don’t have to choose between living on the streets or living with someone who is hurting them. And third, it gives women a crisis hotline they can call when they need immediate help.

We’ve made a lot of progress as a nation since the act first became law. Annual rates of domestic violence have dropped by more than 60 percent. The national hotline has answered more than 2 million crisis calls, directing victims to life-saving assistance.

But make no mistake, this violence still happens every day.

We need to continue these programs and we need to add improvements. For example, we now know that new screening tools can help law enforcement and the courts reduce domestic violence homicide rates, helping them to step in before abuse becomes murder. Such tools might have saved Sarah Rosio, a 24-year-old Wisconsin woman who was strangled to death by her boyfriend after having been abused many times before her death. Two weeks before her death, Sarah was denied a protective order against her abuser. Sarah is gone now, tragically, but we can help others avoid her terrible fate.

To do so, Congress must make the protections in the Violence Against Women Act available to every person in this country who may ever need them. This simply cannot be up for debate in a civilized society like ours.

Every few years, the Violence Against Women Act needs to be reauthorized. And in the past, Congress has worked cooperatively to reauthorize, improve, and expand the reach of the law. Up until now.

Earlier this year, the Senate passed the bill, and they did it with both Democratic and Republican support. Unfortunately, the House did not follow this broadly bipartisan path; Republicans there passed a much weaker version of the bill. While the House bill contains some of the important provisions of the Senate bill, it lacks key improvements – like protecting more victims and requiring dating violence and sexual assault prevention programs on campus – and, in some cases, it actually rolls back current protections for victims of domestic violence.

Support for the Violence Against Women Act runs broad and deep. It includes law enforcement, prosecutors, victims’ advocates, faith groups, and Democrats and Republicans alike. So this should be easy – and beyond politics. Instead, the clock is now running out for the more than 23,000 women who call our national domestic abuse hotline every month and for all women who may one day be the victims of violence.

Congress should pass the bipartisan version approved by the U.S. Senate.

I know there are fundamental differences between Democrats and Republicans, and I don’t expect those to disappear. But on this issue of basic decency, where there remains so much agreement between us, Republicans and Democrats ought to leave politics at the water’s edge. Because women everywhere are counting on us, and they can’t wait any longer.

Mr. Biden is Vice President of the United States.

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The White House · 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW · Washington DC 20500 · 202-456-1111

To raise awareness around the issue of domestic violence, in October 2011, The Verizon Foundation awarded $105,000 in grants to nine Georgia organizations, including GCADV, to support programs dedicated to educating teens about dating and domestic violence prevention.

“We work very hard to prevent family violence before it happens. Reaching teens, both boys and girls, regarding healthy relationship behavior, signs of abuse and prevention techniques will help improve our state’s families for future generations,”  says Nicole Lesser, Executive Director.

Through this $15,000 grant, GCADV is announcing its new Facebook page and its 2012 Safe Tech & Healthy Relationships Artwork Contest!

GCADV is asking teens to express their ideas on dating violence using graphic software and/or free hand art work and to name a new training to increase awareness and conversation around teen dating violence . Contestants will name and demonstrate through poster design, GCADV’s new Teen Dating Violence Initiative.  Participants will be invited to engage with domestic violence advocates from around the state to share their views, experiences, and opinions on how to decrease teen dating violence and become advocates for a meaningful cause.

For more infomation, visit http://teens.gcadv.org/

See contest Facebook page HERE

As many of you know, Betty was the director of the Northwest Georgia Family Crisis Center for nearly 30 years and was one of the “founding mothers” of our domestic violence movement in Georgia.  A survivor herself, she was a tireless advocate for survivor-centered programs and a wonderful mentor to her staff and to everyone who had the privilege of working with her.  Her wisdom and limitless passion will be greatly missed throughout the state. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends.

Visitation will be Friday, June 8th, from 5 to 9 P.M. at Love Funeral Home, Dalton, GA, with funeral services at 1 P.M. Saturday, June 9th at the same location.

http://www.lovefuneralhomega.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=1501149&fh_id=10343

June 5, 2012

CONTACT:
Kenneth J. Wolfe, 202-690-1217, Kenneth.Wolfe@acf.hhs.gov

HHS, PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS TEAM UP, ANNOUNCE $35 MILLION PLAN TO KEEP AT-RISK FAMILIES TOGETHER 

New initiative aims for early identification, targeted services

 Washington, DC —

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is teaming up with four national foundations to combat family homelessness.  Families comprise the fastest-growing segment of the homeless population, now accounting for more than one third of the overall group.

 ACF will provide $1 million per year to each of five grantees for five years ($25 million total) to demonstrate the effectiveness and potential cost-savings of projects incorporating stable housing and comprehensive services that focus on safety, positive family functioning, and child well-being. The initial funding opportunities were announced this week and selected grant recipients will be announced in September.  Funding for the following four years is dependent on the availability of funds and grantees meeting certain benchmarks.

Additionally, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Casey Family Programs, and Edna McConnell Clark Foundation will provide a combined total of at least $10 million over the next five years.  This money will be used for technical assistance and rigorous national evaluations of the supportive housing plan’s effectiveness. 

This cooperation supports President Obama’s public-private partnership initiative, aimed at combining public and private sector funds, skills, and resources to solve community problems..  Supportive housing is also an important step toward ending family homelessness, a key goal of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, which is chaired by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

This supportive housing plan builds on a successful pilot effort, Keeping Families Together, which paired supportive housing in New York City with on-site case management for families experiencing chronic homelessness, substance abuse, mental health issues, and/or child welfare involvement.  Three years after the pilot ended, the overwhelming majority of the families had stable housing, six children previously placed in foster care were reunited with their biological families, and school attendance improved steadily.

ACF’s new initiative aims to determine whether similar programs could be effective in other areas of the country.

 “As more states move toward serving families safely outside of foster care, it has become more apparent that families face multiple challenges,” said Commissioner Bryan Samuels of the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families.  “This initiative is designed to help us identify high need families earlier and to provide the right set of targeted services that lead to meaningful family improvements.” Improvements include reducing child abuse and neglect, reducing the number of foster care placements, and increasing housing and employment stability, Samuels added.

This initiative also aims to spur local philanthropic organizations and local and state public agencies to join forces at the community level, similar to the partnership that has been developed between the administration and national foundations.

“Grantees will be encouraged to build on or leverage  relationships with key stakeholders including local philanthropic partners, employment and education programs, substance abuse treatment, health, mental health, and child-serving agencies and family and criminal courts,” said Samuels.

The administration encourages child welfare agencies across the country, in partnership with local housing agencies and shelters, to apply for the grants at www.grants.gov.

The four national foundations have released a joint statement.

DONATION AT THE 1^st Annual REGAL AWARDS 

$7500 in support of GCADV’s work to end domestic violence

GEORGIA COALITION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RECEIVES

DONATION AT THE 1^st Annual REGAL AWARDS

$7500 in support of GCADV’s work to end domestic violence

ATLANTA – Nationally and locally, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc is working to address violence against women and encouraging all members to break the culture of silence surrounding this issue. In metro Atlanta, the Douglas Carroll Paulding Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc has awarded $7,500 to the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (GCADV) to support the organization’s tireless work to end domestic violence and increase awareness amongst minorities. This event and donation presentation will occur, Friday, June 1, 2012, at 6 PM, at the Downtown Douglasville Conference Center.

For the past 30 years, GCADV has been Georgia’s leading representative of domestic violence agencies, advocates, allied individuals and survivors throughout the state. GCADV brings together member agencies, allied organizations and supportive individuals who are committed to ending domestic violence. GCADV leads advocacy efforts for responsive public policy and promotes quality, comprehensive prevention and intervention services throughout the state. “GCADV is truly honored to receive this donation,” said Nicole Lesser, executive director of GCADV. “We’re especially excited that this donation was made in connection with the 1^st Annual Regal Awards, which will emphasize the critical work of organizations in metro Atlanta communities. In 2011, Georgia was named 6^th in the nation for its rate of men killing women and 108 women were killed due to domestic violence.  “To provide needed trainings, continue to advocate and create systems change for all victims, we are hopeful to work with the ladies of Delta Sigma Theta continually and ensure that this donation will be used to wisely,” said Lesser.

“The ladies of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc are proud to support the tireless work done by GCADV, and we are thankful that this donation is possible to further train advocates and assist where needed to end domestic violence in Georgia,” said Sharon Jones, awards committee member.

For more information about GCADV, visit www.GCADV.org. For more information about Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc visit www.deltasigmatheta.org.

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Full Report:  http://tiny.cc/dv2012report

Mary Kay Inc. World Headquarters                                                                     Contact:

Addison, Texas 75001                                                                                                           Kathrina McAfee, 972-687-4355

www.marykay.com                                                                                                                  kathrina.mcafee@mkcorp.com                 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mary Kay Identifies: Demand for Help is Up – Services, Funding and Prevention Programs are Down

DALLAS (May 1, 2012) – Though many areas of life are recovering from the economic downturn, domestic violence shelters throughout the United States report that the economy continues to significantly affect battered women and children. While shelters shine a spotlight on the widespread increase in domestic violence survivors seeking help nationwide, they also highlight a substantial decrease in shelter services, funding sources and prevention efforts to assist victims. In addition, shelters report that the abuse is getting more severe, survivors are staying in abusive relationships longer and shelters expect the situation will only stay the same or get worse in light of the economy – according to the fourth national “Mary Kay Truth About Abuse Survey.”

More than 730 domestic violence shelters across the country were recently surveyed.  Detailed national findings from the 2012 “Mary Kay Truth About Abuse Survey” reveal alarming trends in light of the economy’s decline since 2008, including:

• 78 percent of domestic violence shelters nationwide (nearly eight out of ten) report an increase in women seeking assistance from abuse.
• 74 percent of survivors stayed with an abusive partner longer because of financial issues.
• 58 percent of shelters reported that the abuse is more violent now than before 2008.
• 87 percent of domestic violence shelters (nearly nine out of ten) expect their overall situation during the next 12 months will be worse than now, or the same as now, due to the economy.
• 95 percent reported that survivors needed to stay in shelters for longer durations of time.
• Of shelters that were forced to reduce services, 47 percent decreased childcare efforts, which meant that they were not able to help one in four children.
• 86 percent of shelters witnessed negative social effects on children such as bullying or withdrawal.
• 62 percent reported that young women (age 12-24) are requesting help in greater numbers.
• 92 percent of shelters had to end or scale back specific programs and services.

The survey’s overwhelming trends are remarkably similar in each region of the United States – Northeast, Midwest, South and West. Detailed regional findings are available upon request.

Sue Else, president of the National Network to End Domestic Violence said, “Society has come a long way in the past few decades, creating more comprehensive services and ultimately reducing the rates of domestic violence. But clearly, the ‘Mary Kay Truth About Abuse Survey’ shows that much more work needs to be done.”

Katie Ray-Jones, president of the National Domestic Violence Hotline added, “Over the last four years, the National Domestic Violence Hotline has received nearly 10,000 more calls for help from survivors of domestic violence and their loved ones. The most requested service from callers is a referral to a shelter in their local community. Unfortunately, the economy has had a devastating impact on local domestic violence shelters. Many have had to reduce their capacity, reduce services and, in some instances, have closed their doors.”

Anne Crews, Mary Kay Inc. Vice President and The Mary Kay Foundation^SM Board Member noted, “The ‘Mary Kay Truth About Abuse Survey’ represents more than staggering numbers. It signifies lives in the balance.  Domestic violence shelters across the country can mean the difference between life and death, yet the economy continues to plague shelters and the women and children they serve.  The truth about abuse is that survivors and their children continue to feel the negative effects of the economy in profound ways.  This crime is a community issue.  Individuals and businesses must get involved in efforts to educate, prevent, and eventually end, domestic violence.”

Mary Kay’s Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Programs

Mary Kay Inc. and The Mary Kay Foundation^SM have continually been leaders in domestic violence awareness and prevention programs.  In light of these survey findings, Mary Kay and The Mary Kay Foundation have been responding with the following programs:

• Lobbying for Good:  Since the 1980s, Mary Kay Inc. and its independent sales force members have lobbied Congress and state legislatures on issues including insurance coverage of mammograms for women, the Violence Against Women Act and teen dating violence awareness and prevention.  
• Shelter Grants:  Through the support of Mary Kay Inc., The Mary Kay Foundation^SM will have awarded more than $31 million to domestic violence prevention programs and women’s shelters in all 50 states by the end of 2012.
• Nature Explore Classrooms:  Mary Kay Inc. and The Mary Kay Foundation^SM partner with the Arbor Day Foundation to construct Nature Explore Classrooms to promote the healing powers of nature – the first of their kind to be built at U.S. domestic violence shelters. By the end of 2012, Mary Kay will have funded 17.
• Beauty That Counts^®: In the United States, from Sept. 16 through Dec. 15, 2012, $1 will be donated from each sale of limited-edition* Beauty That Counts^® Mary Kay^® NouriShine Plus™ Lip Gloss in two shades.  Since 2008, Mary Kay has donated millions of dollars from the worldwide sales of Beauty That Counts^® products to causes that change the lives of women and children worldwide.

*Available while supplies last

About The “Mary Kay Truth About Abuse Survey”

The fourth “Mary Kay Truth About Abuse Survey” polled 733 domestic violence shelters across the United States about domestic violence and the economy since September 2008, a major turning point in the U.S. economy.  The study was conducted online between Feb. 7-17, 2012.  Comprehensive 2012 survey findingssummarize national and regional results.  Past surveys from 2009-2011 are available at: www.marykay.com/survey.

About Mary Kay

Mary Kay is one of the world’s largest direct selling companies with more than $3 billion in annual wholesale sales worldwide.  Mary Kay was founded in 1963 by Mary Kay Ash with the goal of helping women achieve personal growth and financial success.  Mary Kay remains committed to enriching women’s lives, and today more than 2.4 million people of all backgrounds are enjoying the advantages of being Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants.  Mary Kay’s high-quality skin care and color cosmetic products are sold in more than 35 countries around the world.  To learn more about Mary Kay, visit www.marykay.com.

For more than three decades, “I Will Survive” has been a beacon of hope for countless victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.  The film industry has featured “I Will Survive” on the soundtrack of more than half a dozen major motion pictures, and VH-1 honored Gloria Gaynor with the number one spot during their countdown of Top 100 Dance Records of All Time.

 NNEDV is pleased to announce that Grammy Award winning artist, Gloria Gaynor is joining NNEDV as one of our spokespersons!

http://nnedv.org/about/spokespersons.html

Evident by numerous awards received over the years, Gloria Gaynor’s popularity has continuously flourished throughout the decades – a testament to how the message of survival resonates with women across generations.

As a spokesperson for the National Network to End Domestic Violence, Ms. Gaynor wants to bring greater awareness to domestic violence and help bring an end to this devastating social issue.

“I am truly honored to lend my voice to the National Network to End Domestic Violence,” said Gaynor.  “Over the years, so many women have shared their personal stories with me about suffering through abuse and seeing hope through my music.  Domestic violence affects everyone, and everyone should become part of the solution.”