Today marks the 25th anniversary of the passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). On this day in 1994, Congress officially recognized violence against women as a national crisis and took steps to combat gender violence on a national level. VAWA allocated resources to create specialized training and education for law enforcement and criminal prosecutors as well as a network of resources for women survivors of violence. 

In 2013, VAWA was renewed under President Obama and was updated to improve services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking, and added more comprehensive resources for Native American women, immigrants, members of the LGBTQ community, college students, and public housing residents. 

Unfortunately, VAWA was allowed to expire in December 2018. Although its reauthorization was passed by the House of Representatives earlier this year, it has stalled in the U.S. Senate.

The expiration of VAWA has removed vital protections and services for victims of gender violence. Please consider calling your U.S. Senator or Member of Congress and ask them to prioritize the reauthorization of VAWA.

CWLC remains fiercely dedicated to maintaining and improving resources available to survivors. In addition to urging your Senators and Representatives to reauthorize VAWA, please join CWLC in supporting survivors through Handbags of Hope by collecting new and gently used handbags filled with toiletries, personal care items, and a $15 gift card. Please bring Handbags of Hope donations to our office in El Segundo before October 11th, or contact us for more information at (323) 951-1041 or via cwlc@cwlc.org.