With VAWA in place, we began to extend justice for survivors and accountability for perpetrators. We created the first-ever nationwide hotline and supported shelters, rape disaster facilities, housing and authorized help for ladies all throughout the nation. We educated cops, prosecutors, advocates, judges, and courtroom personnel to make our justice system extra honest and conscious of the wants of survivors. And, over time, we expanded entry to sexual assault companies on school campuses, invested in ending the backlog of rape kits, and elevated protections for underserved communities.
Every time we’ve reauthorized this legislation, I’ve labored throughout the aisle to strengthen it – as a Senator, as Vice President, and as President. Most not too long ago, we secured the highest-ever funding of greater than $700 million to implement the legislation’s applications. And as we speak, forward of the legislation’s 30th anniversary, I’ll announce new actions my Administration is taking – from funding extra companies for survivors, to increasing housing protections, to retaining weapons out of the arms of home abusers, to tackling the following frontier of gender-based violence and abuse: deep-fake pictures and movies generated by synthetic intelligence. The work by no means stops. But over the past 30 years, we’ve made super progress.
According to the Department of Justice, between 1993 and 2022, the reported home violence fee dropped by 67%. The fee of reported rapes and sexual assaults declined by nearly 56%. Earlier this yr, our National Domestic Violence Hotline fielded its 7 millionth name since 1996. And hundreds of thousands of survivors have been supplied with sufferer advocacy companies, safety orders, housing, and authorized assist. There’s extra to do, however we won’t relaxation till it will get accomplished.
And that features standing with girls and women worldwide who’re going through down violence to demand fundamental human rights, and in opposition to rape and sexual violence used as weapons of battle and terror.
Today, as we mark three a long time since we handed into legislation the Violence Against Women Act, we have fun our progress whereas recommitting to the work forward.
My dad was a mild, sort man who at all times taught me to face as much as the abuse of energy—whether or not, psychological, financial or bodily. That lesson was the driving pressure behind my choice to create the Violence Against Women Act 30 years in the past. And as we glance to the longer term, we can not cease combating till each lady and woman on this planet just isn’t solely free from violence, concern, and abuse—however empowered to achieve her full potential.
Toward that goal, Congress should proceed to construct on the progress we’ve made beneath the Violence Against Women Act right here within the United States, and move the International Violence Against Women Act to strengthen justice and accountability for gender-based violence around the globe. And we should every do our half at house, at work, within the navy, in colleges and on campuses, in communities, and on-line to stop this from taking place within the first place—and summon the braveness to intervene when it does.
I imagine America is a superb nation, as a result of we’re folks. Standing as much as abuse of energy is tough, however I do know we will do that—we should do that—for all the ladies and women struggling in silence; for all these we’ve misplaced; and for all these we will nonetheless save.
Joe Biden is the forty sixth President of the United States
