Violence Against Women Deserves More Than a 16-Day Campaign

Reports of violence against women and girls during the COVID-19 pandemic have increased around the world as many women and girls are locked down in their homes with their abusers, isolated from support networks and services.

The international community needs to take concrete actions to fund responses to combat violence against women and girls year-round—not just during an annual 16 day campaign.

What Women Can Expect from a Biden Presidency: On Ending Violence Against Women

Biden’s pledge to end violence against women centers on reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), restoring Title IX protections against sexual harassment and assault on college campuses, and increasing protections and programs for women in marginalized communities—including Native American women, adolescent girls of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, older women, women and girls with disabilities, immigrant women, and women service members.

Restless Is the Social Media Platform Fighting Sexual Assault

Olivia DeRamus on Restless, her new social media platform for women and sexual violence survivors.

“I knew I had to find a way to empower myself again within the circumstances I couldn’t change. I thought that maybe if I couldn’t tell my own story, I could at least facilitate the stories of other women. That maybe I could speak indirectly through them, and feel like I was reclaiming my narrative, even if indirectly.”

Why Preventing Violence Against Women Requires Men and Boys

Under usual circumstances, risk factors for violence perpetration include job loss, economic stress, substance abuse, depression and feelings of isolation; all of these issues have worsened as the pandemic has continued. As a result, intimate partner violence and femicide have increased dramatically.

To end violence in society, we must address the drivers: the perpetrators of violence who are most often men and boys.