Most Women Support Reform of Violence Against Women Act: SAVE Urges Lawmakers to Stop Partisan Wrangling

Washington, DC/July 30, 2012 -- A strong majority of women support reforming the Violence Against Women Act, according to a survey commissioned by victim-advocacy group Stop Abusive and Violent Environments (SAVE).

The survey shows that 74 percent of women responding to the survey support reform measures currently being debated in Congress to curb waste and fraud, 71 percent wish to stop discriminatory practices, and 68 percent want to bring an end to false allegations of abuse: http://www.saveservices.org/campaign-2012/national-survey-on-vawa-reform/results/

In a recent Washington Times editorial, domestic violence expert Janice Shaw Crouse noted, “The original VAWA was based on good intentions, but like most things that originate in Washington, D.C., the result over the years has been to create an enormous bureaucracy that runs amok with fraud, lacks appropriate oversight, contains no means of accountability, and consists of many duplicate programs.” http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jul/24/violence-against-women-act-needs-reform/

Christina Villegas of the Independent Women’s Forum also echoed calls for reform: “Congress should look past the ideological roots of [VAWA] and should consider alternatives that address the true causes of violence and seek to provide equal protection to all victims.” http://womenagainstvawa.org/does-vawa-foster-class-victimization-among-women/

“Women have seen the unintentional damage that VAWA has done to them, to their loved ones, and to all victims of abuse -- and they’re tired of the demagoguery,” SAVE spokesman Philip W. Cook explains. “Congress must reform VAWA before more victims are neglected, more innocent lives ruined, and more families torn apart.”

Stop Abusive and Violent Environments is a victim-advocacy organization working for evidence-based solutions to partner violence: www.saveservices.org.

Contact: Teri Stoddard
Telephone: 301-801-0608
Email: tstoddard@saveservices.org

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