The Violence Against Women Act was originally passed by President Bill Clinton in 1994. This act was drafted by then-Senator, (D-Del.) Joe Biden. The purpose was to provide additional funding for law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution in crimes against women, to help fund groups that work to decrease violence against women and to allow civil suits to occur in cases that were not dutifully prosecuted. The act was renewed by Congress twice, in 2000 and 2005.
In April 2012, the renewal of the bill was to include, for the first time, those in the LGBT community, Native Americans on reservations and illegal immigrants. Although studies do not show that those in the LGBT community are more or less likely to be exposed to domestic or sexual violence, they are less likely to be believed and helped by shelters, law enforcement and support groups. Studies do show that Native American women on reservations are substantially more likely to be attacked than non-reservation dwellers and are the least likely group of women to gain legal assistance. The bill will also allow battered illegal immigrants to gain temporary visas to help in their own case because they were previously deported for reporting domestic battery and even rape outside the home.
Earlier this month, reauthorization was denied, ending the Federal Rape Shield Law, which prohibited the media from disclosing the identity of a rape victim without consent. The end of this bill will also cut any federal funding for community violence prevention programs, rape crisis centers and hotlines and legal aid for survivors of violence.
Although this bill has generally been seen as a bipartisan triumph, the new additions alienated some of the far right who accused congressional democrats of constantly moving the goalposts. Representative Gwen Moore (D-Wisc.) defended her party and said, “This time they saw the need to expand this to communities of color, Native Americans, the LGBT community and young women who needed protection on college campuses.”
Despite the Republican Party’s strong verbal opposition to the bill, every female in Congress, including Republicans, voted in favor of the bill with its new additions.
The failure to renew this act should outrage every woman in the United States. During the 18-year course of this act, domestic violence has dropped 65 percent. Although I am not one to jump fully into the proclaimed ‘War on Women,’ I feel like my government just told me that their opinions of the LGBT community, illegal immigration and spending cuts is more important than the health, safety and rights of all women.
I will be the first to say that I am a huge supporter of the LGBT community. I believe that it should be easier to immigrate to this country, and I like a hefty spending budget. These opinions will become more in depth in future columns.
Race and sexuality are hard issues to write about and a very hard topic for anyone to discuss, but I feel like gender continues to be pushed under the rug. Yes, women have equal voting rights, marriage rights and have the legal backing if they are underpaid for the same job a male counterpart performs. However, we are the only minority given unequal health rights and have the highest chance of being sexually assaulted.
It is a separate issue that my employer can refuse to pay for emergency contraception if I am attacked but should the government really have the right to deny me privacy from the media, a chance to go to a women’s shelter to escape my abuser and limit my access to mental support after my attack?
I ask that politicians, voters or anyone else reading this to look past their social beliefs and start thinking if they would want every possible opportunity to overcome a violent attack for their mother, sister, wife or daughter. Violence against women is not only a gender issue, because the crimes committed do not just change the life of those who are attacked — it changes everything for everyone around them too.
