This 23rd annual domestic and sexual violence advocacy event in Georgia is BACK IN PERSON this year. Formerly called, Stop Violence Against Women Day, Stand with Survivors Day(s) (SWSD) will hold an Advocacy 101 webinar and an in-person kick-off event.
SWSD brings together intimate partner and sexual violence advocates, system stakeholders, and community constituents from across the State of Georgia to rally together and speak to their elected officials about legislation that effects intimate partner and sexual violence survivors, their families, and communities.
The events will be held:
- Advocacy 101: (Webinar)
During this 2-hour webinar you will learn more about our advocacy priorities, receive tips on how to talk to legislators, and be able to ask questions.
February 6th, 2024
10:00am-12:00pm
- Kickoff: (In-Person)
During this event you will learn about how our key legislative priorities impact survivors and their families.
February 7th, 2024
8:30AM-Breakfast 8:30am
Kick off- 9:00am-10:30am
10:45AM- Picture on Capitol Steps
11:00AM- Head to the Capitol to meet with Legislators
For more information email: swsdinfo@gcadv.org
Legislative Priorities
Address Confidentiality
SB324- A Victim-Centered Address Confidentiality
The Ask: Create a victim-centered Address Confidentiality Program for victims of trafficking, domestic and dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. The most dangerous time for a survivor is when they decide to leave an abusive relationship. Motivated abusers and stalkers can easily access public government records to locate victims.
Stalking
SB83- Update GA’s Stalking Statute
The Ask: Revise the definition of stalking to include stalking that occurs in the home. The vast majority of stalking victims are stalked by someone they know. 85% of attempted and 76% of completed intimate partner fatalities were preceded by stalking in the prior year.
Domestic Violence TPO Fix
The Ask: Amend O.C.G.A 16-5-95, “Violation of a Family Violence Protective Order,” to add language that makes violating a dating violence TPO equally punishable by law to the family violence TPO. Currently there is no legally binding enforcement mechanism for courts to follow when a person violates a dating violence TPO because the criminal code only makes violating the family violence protective order criminally actionable.
Increase in State Allocation for DV Shelters, Sexual Assault Centers, Community-Based and Culturally Specific Programs
The Ask: Support an increase in the State budget for victim services. Federal funding makes up on average 43% of program budgets- nearly half comes from the Victims of Crime Fund. By October 1st of this year GA will face a $44M deficit in Federal funding from VOCA for victim services. This will decimate program budgets – particularly those in rural communities- and make it nearly impossible for programs to provide consistent, direct services to victims across the state.
COLLABORATORS
