Around the world, sexual violence is being used as a weapon of war, and gender-based violence suffered by displaced women during and after conflicts is on the rise.

For years Refugees International has been advocating for the U.S. to pass an International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA).  We are very pleased that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will be holding a hearing on Thursday October 1, 2009 (please see below for further details).

> We must show the committee that there is public support for the passage of I-VAWA, and we need YOU to help us fill the room on Thursday!

I-VAWA will provide for a comprehensive US approach in its foreign assistance policies to preventing and responding to gender-based violence. I-VAWA will increase efforts to prevent violence against women, will strengthen local women's organizations that are working to assist survivors and bring perpetrators of violence to justice, increase opportunities for women to seek testing or treatment for HIV/AIDS, and will provide increased economic and educational opportunities to reduce the vulnerability of women at risk of violence. 

What you can do to help:

1. Attend the hearing on Thursday October 1 at 2:30pm in Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 106 (it is open to the public).
2. Phone the office of your Senator and ask if s/he will be attending the hearing and express your view about how important this hearing is.
3. Phone the offices of Senators Kerry and Lugar and thank them for showing their commitment to ending violence against women by convening this hearing.

HEARING
before the

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Time: 2:30 P.M.
Place: 216 Hart Senate Office Building
Presiding: Senator Kerry

Witnesses:

Panel 1:
The Honorable Melanne Verveer
Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues
Department of State
Washington, DC

The Honorable Stephen Rapp
Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues
Department of State
Washington, DC

Panel 2:
Major General Patrick Cammaert
Former Military Advisor to the UN Secretary General
Former UN Force Commander for the
Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
New York, NY

The Honorable Donald Steinberg
Deputy President
International Crisis Group
Former Ambassador to Angola
Brussels, Belgium

Ms. Geeta Rao Gupta
President
International Center for Research on Women
Washington, DC

Ms. Esta Soler
President and Founder
Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF)
San Francisco, CA