Domestic Violence

Look around you.  Every day, you work with women, pass them on the street, talk to them on the phone, and interact with them in a variety of ways.  Every fourth woman you engage with will face domestic violence in her lifetime.  Every fourth.

Domestic violence is a staggering problem in American society, and because it so often happens out of the public eye, the victims are silent.  They suffer with no voice, no support, and often, no hope.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  Sometimes educational campaigns can seem futile – “we get it, it exists, so what?”  The first thing to know – for sure – about domestic violence is that there is so, so much that can be done.  It’s not just about understanding it so that we can all consider ourselves “aware.”  There are perpetrators to be tried, convicted, and punished for egregious human rights violations.  There are survivors who need services, medical attention, and support.  There are hotlines to staff and safe houses to fund and operate.

For the next 30 days, Fem2.0 will join hundreds of other organizations across the U.S. in honoring Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  Check out a calendar of our events below, and feel free to join us in blogging about domestic violence issues, participating in our tweet chat, and following us on Twitter.

October at Fem2.0

Mondays: Every Monday, Fem2.0 will publish a blog post related to Domestic Violence.  We’ll be printing pieces from people who work with survivors, run clinics, write policy, and even those who have seen it firsthand.  Check out the first post by Andrea Gleaves, Outreach and Training Specialist with the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence: “Ending #VAW Upstanders and Thinking Up Stream”

Cross-posting: Throughout the month, Fem2.0 will be cross-posting blog posts with other feminist organizations such as EMILY’s List and Feministing.com.  Be sure to check out these great sites as well!

Check out the Fem2.0 posts in spirit of DV Awareness Month:

Also, check out our past posts related to violence against women:

 

Tweet Chat: On Sunday, October 23, Fem.2.0 will host a Tweet Chat dedicated to recognizing the signs of domestic violence and how to offer help and support to friends, family, or other loved ones who may need it. You can join the conversation at 9pm Eastern at #DV101.

Twitter Town Hall on teen dating violence prevention  Sponsored by VAWnet and the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, the Twitter Town Hall will have people tweet about how to make healthy relationships cool for youth and share strategies and lessons on the use of language and generational accessibility. Join others throughout the country and world on Wed., Oct. 20 at 3pm Eastern/12 Pacific by sending tweets on this topic using the hashtag #reachyouth. PreventConnect will be tweeting using @PreventConnect and Juley will be tweeting using @JuleyFulcher.

Purple Thursday Pledge: Want a hershey kiss?! On Thursday, October 27, Fem2.0 will join the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence Purple Pledge Day. Come join us at 1 PM in Farragut Square to take photos decked out in your purple gear, and get purple hershey kisses to take back to your office and share with friends.  Why?  Because love should be sweet.  Contact Abigail Collazo at 914 844 7913 for more information!  We’ll take your photos and post them on facebook so you can tag yourselves and show everyone your support for domestic violence awareness.