Over the past few years, the United States has made remarkable progress in finding solutions to address the violence and abuse many women experience. Despite the fact that the government and some advocacy groups have shown effort in lessening violence against women, the numbers may still appear shocking. These issues affect the safety of women, namely their economic security, health and overall well-being, among many others.
An example of common violence committed against women is domestic violence. Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship wherein one of the two gain power and control over the other. According to reports, about 5 million women experience intimate partner-related physical abuse and only a small percentage of battered females seek medical attention following an injury.
Another common violent act committed against women is sexual abuse or rape. In the United States, it was found that eight in ten in female rape victims were raped before they reached the age of 25 and about 40 percent of them were raped before the age of 18.
It is evident that American women experience violence and abuse everyday and it has become very alarming.
There are many movements that promote the end of violence in the United States, most especially against women. The US government, together with other advocacy groups, creates programs to help stop the violence against women and advocate for their well-being.
The United States Department of Justice has created a separate team called the Office on Violence against women. The office leads in developing a national effort to reduce violence against women and serve justice to them. They also strengthen services to these women, and give them support in their journey.
The American Bar Association Commission on Domestic and Sexual Abuse aims to shed light on the legal perspective of domestic and sexual violence, most especially among women.
There is a program called the Battered Women’s Justice Project, whose mission is to identify the context wherein intimate partner violence occurred and addresses the violence as a crime. Their aim is to provide assistance to local jurisdictions to assess and improve the state of violence against women in the community. They also aim to spread awareness, not only in the United States, but to the whole world as well.
INCITE! is an organization that advocates against violence on women of color. They organize and come up with projects that address the different forms of violence women of color experience in their daily lives. Their aim is to get in touch with these women through a women of color radio show, through organizing rallies against harassment, through training women of color basic self-defense and many more ways.
INCITE! also engages in media justice to help shape ideas of the public on ending violence against women of color.
It is important for the government to take action in ending abuse and violence against women. It may begin small through different cities and states, by creating programs and policies on the matter.
In California, policy recommendations propose a long-term campaign to shift social norms on violence against women and develop programs within local school districts to provide a school environment that supports healthy and violent-free family relationships.
In the city of San Diego, there has been a task force, headed by San Diego Domestic Violence Lawyers, to promote justice for women who experience violence and abuse. They found ways to allow a smooth flow of crime reporting and have found unintimidating ways to provide full support to women of abuse.