The one word constantly on everyone’s minds these days is recession. Although some say we still have not reached that point, the truth remains that the effects of the economic downturn have hit us all in either minor or major ways. Whether it be tightening of personal expesnes or even as unfortunate as job loss, times are becoming difficult for all of us. Unfortunately, a recession has an even harsher effect for domestic violence cases. According to a study conducted by Working Partnerships USA,
The recession also decreases the amount of funding available to provide services and resources for survivors. As active members of our community, it is our duty to create a safe environment, especially during unfortunate times. But often we want to help the cause but are financially unable.
However, there are always other methods to work towards ending domestic abuse. Funding remains a key component, and every donation, no matter how small, is extremely helpful. However, volunteering your time or even educating your peers or making your community more aware helps work towards preventing domestic violence.
Your help and support is extremely crucial in these times and we hope all of you continue to lend your support in whatever way you can.
We would also love to hear any suggestions or thoughts you have on how we can all work to sustian and grow non profit organizations’ work and outreach during these hard economic times.
*Source: www.wpusa.org
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Working alongside open minded individuals and speaking with activists and advocates of social change often makes me forget that unfortunately such people are a minority in our community.
Recently I’ve met more and more people who after learning about the website are left a bit bewildered or uncomfortable. Some people give me a confused look and ask “Why would someone stay in an abusive relationship to begin with?” while others make light jokes. Yes, jokes. But I believe not out of maliciousness, but because they themselves don’t know how to speak about the subject.
As past blog entries have reflected before, I believe one of the crucial ways to fight against domestic violence is not just concentrating on giving resources and providing aid to survivors, but to focus on the cause of the problem, which most often is as simple as pure ignorance.
Let us know about your experiences/ideas about speaking to others about the topic in the comments section!
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I received the following e-mail from a survivor a few weeks ago who wanted her experience to be heard. The recently posted article (posted below) regarding the abysmal quality of the
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I can think of so many stories to write about and so much advice to give other victims of abuse from my own experience. But I feel that I still have not fully healed to be able to venture into those dark memories again. But one thing I do want to speak about is how poorly my case was handled and how I felt almost wronged by the legal process. Even now it is hard for me to go into full detail.
Many women, especially in our community, are too scared to report instances of abuse. I too was very scared for a while, but then one day realized that I could not allow fear to take hold of me and control my life any longer.
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A recent report* released by the Voices of Women Organizing Project depicts how insufficient the U.S. court system is in dealing with domestic violence cases and bringing justice to survivors.
Some of the facts presented are extremely dishearterning:
Family courts traumatize battered women and hand child custody to their abusers 37% of the time
About 30% of women said they felt unsafe in the courtroom, and 40% felt unsafe in waiting areas.
67% of the women could not afford copies of court transcripts, leaving them unsure of how accurately the official records reflected the proceedings.
About 15% said transcripts were not accurate.
Why are such conditions still present in our court system and what can we do to incite change?
*Article written by Alison Bowen from WeNews
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Across the U.S. , up to 3 million girls and women will be physically abused this year.
Around the world, at least 1 in 3 women will either be physically or sexually abused during her lifetime.
Today, another woman will die. *
The most depressing statistic, which represents the harsh reality of domestic violence, is that 30% of Americans know a woman who reflects the statistics stated above. And sadly, this number is probably higher for the South Asian community.
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One of the main questions that often arises in the discussion of domestic violence issues is why do women remain in abusive relationships to begin with? A lot of people can’t understand why someone would willingly stay in a situation which brings them constant danger and pain and often partially place the blame on victims for not speaking out or leaving.
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One of our readers pointed out an important point that men are often victims of violence at the hands of their partners as well.
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Today I came across this devastating story about a 15 year old Pakistani girl in 
Read the rest of this entry »
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Just wanted to wish everyone a happy International Women’s Day. I encourage all of you to take this day to learn more about all the initiatives and actions being taken to promote global women’s rights. Check out the official website International Women’s Day 2008 to learn more about events going on in the world and how to get more involved! I encourage you to share your ideas and thoughts!
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It seems the last blog discussion has brought on a lot of questions and comments regarding U.S domestic violence laws. Here are some great resources to learn more about different laws and methods to fight domestic violence cases in court and some key questions and issues for discussion.
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