WORLD BRIDGE BLOG

Last week, the bipartisan International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) was introduced into both Houses of Congress. This legislation signals a strong effort to join and take leadership of the international campaign to end violence against women and girls and empower women to protect their rights.

This bill would be the first comprehensive approach to international gender-based violence ever mounted by the U.S. government and could prevent the deaths and injuries of thousands of women and girls.  I-VAWA would authorize $245 million for five years to create and expand programs to prevent and respond to such violence.

In addition, the bill would authorize immediate assistance to survivors of violence, from medical and  psychosocial assistance, to education, family  reunification,  economic opportunity , and legal services. These services could help women overcome the stigma of abuse, provide healing, and equip them with better skills to provide for themselves and their families.

Refugees International is particularly pleased that the bill would require all U.S. funded international programs -- from humanitarian relief to military, police and judicial programs -- to incorporate training to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. The startling statistics on gender-based violence in places like Darfur and the Democratic Republic of the Congo caused large numbers of women’s groups, human rights, advocacy, relief, and development organizations to work together to bring about the introduction of the legislation.

In addition, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense jointly would develop and provide training on prevention and response to violence for all U.S. private military contractors and foreign military forces trained by the U.S. The legislation also encourages the U.S. to ensure that a significant number of women are deployed in UN and regional military and peacekeeping forces.

U.S. humanitarian programs are the largest in the world, and the bill would authorize $40,000,000 a year for the Department of State and USAID to expand humanitarian programs on prevention and response, particularly in conflict and post-conflict settings.  The new programs would also address the often overlooked needs of women and girls involved with fighting forces by requiring equal programs for their reintegration – such as education, job training, health and childcare, protection and separate residential facilities.

USAID would add specialists on gender-based violence to the agency’s Disaster Assistance Response Teams. The bill requires all humanitarian workers to be trained to prevent and respond to violence against women, and requires reports on all incidents of violence.

These are just a few of the changes this new legislation brings. What matters most is what I-VAWA will mean for women around the world and the needless violence it will help prevent. Please help us increase support for this legislation – so that the voices of women everywhere can finally be heard.