Lisa Ledoux, Internet Marketing Manager for Plan USA tells us that One in three girls will be assaulted in their lifetimes.
This blog has reported a number of times that Girls are at increased risk for abuse, trafficking, and violence at school.
Congress is still considering The International Violence Against Women Act (H.R. 4594, S. 2982), which seeks to define a strategic foreign policy approach to combating and responding to violence against women and girls. Persistence in these matters pays off and I urged our Congressional leaders to support the International Violence Against Women Act
The International Violence Against Women Act will help Plan and other organizations reach out to girls even more effectively by:
- Addressing violence against women and girls comprehensively, by supporting health, legal, economic, social, and humanitarian assistance sectors and incorporating violence prevention and response best practices into these programs;
- Helping to alleviate poverty and increasing the effectiveness of foreign assistance programs by ensuring they meet the needs of both women and men; and
- Supporting survivors, holding perpetrators accountable, and preventing violence.
My efforts resulted in a response from Senator Boxer on S.2982
Dear Mr. Dowling:
Thank you for writing to me to express your support for S.2982, the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA). I appreciate hearing from you, and I agree with you.
I was proud to join with Senators John Kerry (D-MA), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) in introducing S.2982, which gives the United States government the tools to make international violence against women and girls a top diplomatic priority of the United States. Every day, too many women and girls across the globe endure horrific acts of violence in their homes and communities. Women are disfigured by acid, beaten, and even killed in the name of "honor" by their families.
To achieve real and sustainable results in combating violence against women and to ensure that women have opportunities to live full and productive lives, the United States must take a more bold approach. That is why this bill requires the State Department to develop a comprehensive five-year strategy to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls internationally.
S.2982 has been referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, of which I am a member. Rest assured, I will continue working to ensure that this critical legislation is passed by Congress and signed into law.
Again, thank you for writing to me. Please feel free to contact me again about this or any other issue of concern to you.
Barbara BoxerUnited States Senator
