The International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) is an innovative bill that, if passed, will reduce violence against women and girls worlwide. The effects of violence are far reaching:

*Work opportunities: Violence reduces a woman’s ability to provide for her household through work. In India for example, a survey revealed that women who experienced even a single incident of violence lost an average of seven working days.
*Education: Girls who are exposed to or experience violence are less likely to complete their education. A study in Nicaragua found that children of female victims of violence left school an average of four years earlier than other children.
* Health: There is a consistent link between physical or sexual abuse and ill health. For example, women who have experienced violence may be three times more likely to acquire HIV than those who have not. Also, 1 in 4 women are abused while pregnant, which can have severe health consequences for both the mother and the child.
* Community: Women who experience violence are less able to benefit from and contribute to supportive and healthy communities.

The I-VAWA was drafted in consultation with more than 150 groups, including U.S.-based NGOs, U.N. agencies, and 40 women’s groups across the globe. The I-VAWA would:

* Make the U.S a global leader in promoting non-violence against women.
* Take advantage of the many ways U.S. foreign assistance programs can reduce violence against women.
* Support overseas organizations fighting to end violence against women and girls.

Click here to find out more about the I-VAWA.

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photo by Boaz Rottem.

Website: http://womensedge.org
Tags: Economy, Human Rights, Violence