Violence against women still affects billions every year. One third of women in the world will be raped or abused in their lifetime. Also, surprisingly, seventy percent of women who are murdered are killed by their male partner. Another large problem that the act wants to help with is sexual violence in conflict areas like Darfur.
16 Days is an annual international campaign that runs from November 25th to December 10th. The title of this article is “16 Days of Activism Against gender Violence: Congress Should Adopt IVAWA” because this year their theme focuses on the intersection of militarism and violence against women. There have been over 3,400 organizations participating in 16 Days since 1991. These organizations raise awareness, strengthen local work, work to change societal structures, and advocate for other programs to help support survivors of violence. It would be most meaningful if the act was passed within these days.
questions from class:
Why do supporters want IVAWA to be passed before the lame duck session ends?
The supporters of the act want IVAWA passed before the new congress comes in during January. The new congress is going to be more conservative and will be less likely to pass the bill. Also, they do not want to have to wait any longer or have to re-introduce the bill again.
What is militarism?
Militarism is using the military to control the society. It is when the military is regarded as the supreme ideal of the state, where it is found to be more important than all other ideals.
I think that the U.S. should make violence against women a greater focus of Foreign Policy. I was shocked when you said that 70% are killed by their male partner. Obviously there's probably issues that are equally important but we need to divide our focus and make sure we help these women. I think that this is something that cannot be ignored.
ReplyDeleteI think that the U.S. should make violence against women a greater focus od Foreign Policy. There is clearly a problem with women getting raped or harmed, and there are statistics to prove that above. Women do need help from all the violence against them. What have women really done wrong that they have to be hurt for? Women do a lot and she be recognized for it and especially recognized for being raped or anything along those lines.
ReplyDeleteI think that this issue of violence against women should be more focused on. One reason is that having violence in our country is never productive and doesn't make people feel safe. In order to follow through with anything else in our country whether it may be laws or whatever, the number one priority should always be the safety of the citizens within our borders. There is no need for people to be treated this way, especially women who have fought so hard to obtain their rights in the past.
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ReplyDeleteI completely agree with everyone else on this one. Violence against women should absolutely be focused on more than it currently is. One thing that stuck out to me in class was that 1/3 of all women will be raped or abused in their lifetime. That is a very scary number, when thinking that they could be your friends and people you know. Also, another thing that caught my attention was that 70% of women that are murdered are killed by their male partner. I think that there is absolutely no reason for this, and it should be stopped as soon as possible, using whatever resources are necessary, no matter what the cost is. There is no reason why women shouldn't feel just as safe as men. They should not have to fear for their lives, that's just not right.
ReplyDeleteI think violence against women should become a greater focus in the US. America was founded on the idea of equality, and throughout the years women like Alice Paul and Susan B Anthony, have been pushing to obtain a more "equal" society. Like Alex said, women have the right to feel just as safe as men do. Back in the late 1800's and early 1900's marital abuse towards women was common and encouraged by society to "keep women in order, and to show them their place in society." These days, women have equal rights to men and also have an equal place in society. There is no longer need for men to "show women their place," for they have already found it themselves. We need to improve the laws on violance towards women. If * 70%* of women that are murdered, are because of their male partner then the violance act is not doing its job. It isn't reasonable to say that it will stop all violance towards women, but something needs to be done to show that is unaccaptable. Times have changed and it is time for the violance act to also change.
ReplyDeleteObviously, violence against women is a very "hot" topic of today. Yes, I do believe that it should be focused in on our foreign policy, but we should also think of where and how would we approach this. If we were to go campaigning globally about this, it would require money. Now, the question is: where would we get this money? Obviously through taxes, which means that some taxes would have to go up, if we are constantly campaigning against this globally. But, aside from violence against women, we also have a war going on, and we have to pay towards that and think of the many foreign policies that are wrapped around that. I do believe that we should spread these statistics out and tell other countries and governments about this; but, how would we approach theocratically-run, or dictatorally-run countries? How would we get past the militarism in these countries? They would all want to shoot us if we just stepped in there and announced these policies. I believe that we should do more here, in America to help prevent this problem.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I wasn’t in class, after reading Janelle’s post and my classmates I think that violence against women should be focused on more. I agree that women should feel just as safe as men do. There are lots of issues that are of importance also but women’s safety is a high priority. In today’s society women are supposed to be equal to men, so protection for them should be in place.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the rest as well. Violence against women should be given a greater focus of foreign policy. The rates are surprising with 70% being killed by their male partner. As Adam said, violence against women makes people feel unsafe. With that in mind, I think we should focus more on the subject to better the safety that people have. Focusing on the subject of violence against women seems to constantly be put off. It is time to recognize that this matter needs to be looked at. With an astonishing one third of women being abused or raped, we cannot afford to push it off any longer. In regards to the foreign policy idea, it would help our relations with other countries by showing that we care about all of our citizens. We can be an example for others to follow our direction and treat the issue in their own countries.
ReplyDeleteThe United States foreign policy should give more of detailed look on violence against women, but also continue to look on other things because you cant forget other problems that happen in foreign countries. Violence against women in foreign countries is important to look at because it is a reoccuring issue over-seas, and by America being the leader country, if we step in and do somehting, i believe others will follow. 1/3 of women are being raped or abused in their lifetime, this is an important number to look at because everywhere we look a women has a story to tell, and it can ruin their lives. By the united states stepping in, will only make things better, and make people appreciate us for doing something right.
ReplyDeleteThis issue is problem that needs to be addressed. Like a lot of my classmates I was shocked about how many women are abused by thier spouse. But there are many other statistics that need to be addressed such as here in America should be the top priority not the foreing policy. The foreign policy is a large issue for many countries but the main focus should be in America after we have solved the issue in America then we can focus on other countries but until then we should focus here at home.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is one of the biggest issues that is going on in the world. Many women are still discriminated against and hated because of thier gender. The thing that stood out in my mind is the number 70. 70% of women are killed by there male partners each year. I know that you cannot stop someone from doing that but that is something that but it is very unacceptable. I also think the situation in Darfur is going to far with the men from militas raoing the women. They have done nothing wrong, the women, yet they have to pay for what the men in their tribes do and what the government has done. They should try to make a law for the whole world.
ReplyDeleteI think that this law should be involved with Foreign Policy because it's a major issue all around the world. It doesn't just affect the women here in America, it affects women in Darfur too, a country run by a dictatorship. Women are already involved with violence, and the more that isn't done to prevent more violence against women, the more women will be abused and assaulted by their male companions. It's shocking to know that 70% of women who are abused area abused by their husbands, so making this law a greater focus for the government would be a huge step to make people more aware of this kind of violence and helping survivors of violence recover and heal from their ordeals. If more focus is on violence against women, Darfur can greatly benefit because the counts of rape are so high that even the women in the refugee camps aren't safe. More has to be done to save these women from further violence done against them.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the International Violence Against Women Act should be focused on and funded very strongly. One of the most surprising statistics I have ever seen is that 1/3 of women get raped in their lifetime, and also that 70% of women murdered got murdered by their male partners. I believe that abuse of women has always been overlooked and it is finally time to focus on this problem and eliminate it. The main reason I believe violence against women has been overlooked is because in reading artifacts in class, I discovered many cases in the 1800's where men could abuse women and then get away with it in court. I think that we should fund this act globally, and fund it heavier in places with the most violence like Darfur. I realize that taxes would go up if this was being funded globally but it is definitely something that must be fixed. I agree with what Christian said that we would garner better relations with other countries because we are showing how passionate we are about the safety of all women.
ReplyDeleteI believe that violence against women should be adressed globally. It is apparent through statistics that women are struggling in our society today. If violence continues against women other things can not be improved as well. Women are part of the population that can help the world achieve more. With violence from men towards women they will not have a say in our world. Even more important than this, everyday women are recieving acts of violence that are hurtful to both their body and mental stability. This is all due to gender differences which should have no affect on how we treat people in this world.
ReplyDeleteI think that the U.S should definitely make foreign policy focus on violence against women. It was just shocking to hear the fact that 70% of women that are murdered are killed by their partner. I just found that amazing. Hearing this fact really brought it home for me that foreign policy needs to take this up. Plus the fact that it is a known issue in Darfur, if foreign policy takes up the issue it will be able to help all women internationally, which really needs to happen because women everywhere should feel safe and secure. There is no need for women to be victimized in such a way.
ReplyDeleteI think that violence against women is an important issue that needs a solution. However in reality i do not think this bill would really help. Perpetrators are already being held accountable if they are proven guilty and the groups seem very vague. I don't think spending money on this bill would be productive when if a few specialists were brought together to make a plan to help violence on women they could probably come up with a better solution then what I've read.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that violence against women should be focused on more by U.S foreign policy. Like everyone else the fact that stuck out was that 70% of women were killed by their male partner. This is a scary though because all of these women believed that they were in love with this man and that he loved her back. If the U.S doe not do anything about that then countless lives are going to be lost each year. This is one topic that has been looked over for to many years and the statistics have only been getting worse over the years. The U.S government has to do something about this and fast.
ReplyDeleteI think that violence against women should definitely be an issue that is addressed because this country was based off of equality. Men should not have the right to violently abuse women. With a number like 70% of women being killed by a male partner, I think that the issue of violence against women should be at the top of the list. I think that women were brought into this country to be treated like they are human, like they have the same rights as everyone else around them, and that is how things should be. Not for women to be beaten, raped, etc. Women should be able to feel safe in their countries, and even in their homes.
ReplyDeleteAll though I do believe that violence against women is an important issue, I agree with Terry that the bill would probably not be effective. The people who beat/rape these women are already serving some sort of consequence when found, and with the current economical status that we are in, I do not know if putting too much money into this would be effective or efficient. I think that some amount of money should be donated to organizations, but we are still in war, and our economy is still trying to get back on its feet, so I do not know if it would be a smart idea to put a lot of money towards this issue, even though it is an important one.
ReplyDeleteI think that the United States should focus on reducing violence on women within its own borders, before trying to change the rest of the world. The U.S. is overextending itself in its role as the "World Policeman". Stopping violence internationally, should be something that the U.N. should control and administer. The U.S. can't do the U.N.'s job, we can't physically do it, and we should not have the pressure to do so.
ReplyDeleteViolence against women is a topic that needs to be focused upon. I actually did my CAP project freshman year on this issue and I feel really strong about it. Men should never be able to abuse woman, no mater the consequences. The statistics I heard in class about the woman being beaten is so scary. I think forgein policies should definately be more strict and the consequences more severe because I think that would be tje only way people learn
ReplyDeleteHere is the link to the website:
ReplyDeletehttp://action.now.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=2854
and the other sites i used:
http://www.amnestyusa.org/violence-against-women/international-violence-against-women-act/i-vawa-background-and-resources/page.do?id=1051154
http://16dayscwgl.rutgers.edu/
Absent on this week.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think that this is a major problem and that foreign policy should definitely focus on it. Men should never have control over a woman its wrong.
When I read this article I was so concerned about the woman who is suffering abuse. The fact that everyone has said the 70% of woman have been killed by their husband is so scary to even think about. This needs to be stopped and definitely watched. As Andrea said consequences should be more severe and there should be harsher punishments then what they have now.
I think that violence against woman is just as important as any other issue there is out there. The subject doesn’t only connect with violence against woman it also connects to other major important issues such as certain governments, human rights being violated, and having peace be made throughout the world. Certain governments make it okay for woman to be beaten or be decimated against just because they are woman. Also it is a huge human rights violation, it goes against even human right that those woman are owned to. With the peace around the world, which will be very long before that officially happens, it could show to countries that view woman as inferior that they are just as strong and are equal to men in every way.
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