Sign a petition to Congress urging passage of the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA)!

In October 2007, the I-VAWA was introduced in the Senate by Joe Biden (D-DE) and Richard Lugar (R-IN), Chair and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and in the House of Representatives by Representative Howard Berman (D-CA), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The I-VAWA will work to support survivors of sexual violence, hold perpetrators accountable, and prevent violence against women around the globe. The bills (S. 2279 and HR. 5927) would also increase US diplomatic attention to ending violence against women and incorporate best practices into US foreign assistance.

The ravaging impact of violence against women is felt most severely in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where rape is used as a weapon of war to destroy women and their communities. Urge your elected officials to strengthen their commitment to end these crimes against humanity by supporting I-VAWA.

The Enough Project supports the IVAWA because it will help combat sexual violence against women in Congo by:

• Directing the President to develop a comprehensive strategy to prevent violence against women and girls;
• Directing the U.S. government to assist programs that prevent and respond to violence against women and girls in all humanitarian relief, conflict, and post-conflict operations;
• Directing the U.S. government to create a comprehensive, 5-year strategy to reduce violence in 10-20 diverse countries that have severe levels of violence against women and girls. To achieve this goal, the Act authorizes more than $1 billion over 5 years in U.S. assistance to support international programs that prevent and respond to violence. The funds will go to health programs and survivor services, encourage legal accountability and a change of public attitudes, promote access to economic opportunity projects and education, and better address violence against women in humanitarian situations;
• Establishing the Office of Women's Global Initiatives in the Department of State to coordinate U.S. government efforts respecting international women's issues;
• Authorizing appropriations to support the United Nations Development Fund for Women Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence Against Women;
• Ensuring that U.S. training of foreign military and police forces incorporates training on prevention of violence against women and girls.