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Volume 10. Issue #2. March 5, 2013 |
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Greetings from Executive Director, Connie Neal! March is Women's History Month, and there are many reasons to be a proud New Yorker. The First Women's Rights Convention in America was held in Seneca Falls, NY in 1848. One of the resolutions posed at the convention stated that "all laws which prevent woman from occupying such a station in society as her conscience shall dictate, or which shall place her in a position inferior to that of man, are contrary to the great precept of nature, and therefore of no force or authority." Now in 2013, NYSCADV is proud that our Governor stood up and said that the laws that we have thus far do not completely protect women and provide women equitable experiences. We applaud Governor Cuomo in his push for women's equality by announcing a 10-point plan that is devised to balance the scales. This plan will: - Protect a Woman's Freedom of Choice by Enacting the Reproductive Health Act
- Achieve Pay Equity
- Stop Sexual Harassment in All Workplaces
- Allow for the Recovery of Attorneys' Fees in Employment and Credit and Lending Cases
- Strengthen Human Trafficking Laws
- End Family Status Discrimination
- Stop Source-of-Income Discrimination
- Stop Housing Discrimination for Victims of Domestic Violence
- Stop Pregnancy Discrimination Once and For All
- Protect Victims of Domestic Violence by Strengthening Order-of-Protection Laws
We join with the Governor and the over 500 (and counting) agencies that support this plan in appreciation for the fact that our calls for additional steps to ensure equality are being answered.
At the same time, we appreciate efforts made by other levels of leadership in our country. We thank Senators Leahy and Crapo for the swift introduction of an inclusive Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) which was passed by the Senate with votes in favor by our New York State Senators Schumer and Gillibrand. We also thank the House for passing the same version of VAWA on February 28th with nearly all New York State representatives voting in favor of the bill. This significant legislation also has the support of the White House as evidenced by President Obama's statements during the 2013 State of the Union address in which he urged Congress to pass it. Additionally, we recognize the heartfelt statements of Vice-President Joe Biden upon the passage of VAWA on the 28th of February. While he was a Senator, he sponsored the original VAWA in 1994 and has championed it's progress ever since.
Lastly, and certainly not least, NYSCADV is proud of Rose Garrity, Executive Director of A New Hope Center in Tioga County, NY, for her appearance in the PBS documentary, Makers: Women Who Make America. Rose was among many courageous women interviewed for this documentary which tells the story of the social revolution of the modern Women's Movement in the U.S. Rose is a pioneer and we thank her for all the work she and her peers have done throughout the years to strive for women's equality. You can watch Makers in three parts on the PBS website. Find the section "Full Episodes" which is where you can watch all three parts of this piece of herstory. This film is a great way to get inspired for Women's History Month!
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Around the State
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Around the State ~
Engaging & Mobilizing Men to End Gender-Based Violence
A NYSCADV Training Opportunity
Where: The Century House, 997 New Loudon Rd, Latham NY 12110
When: April 2nd and 3rd 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, Day Two 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Lunch will be provided both days.
Trainer: Rus Irvin Funk, Co-founder and Executive Director of
MensWork: eliminating violence against women.
This training is designed to support communities in their efforts to organize men and boys to prevent intimate partner and sexual violence before it begins. It provides a theoretical foundation along with in-depth strategies and skills for organizing men on campuses, in workplaces and in communities to respond to and address domestic and sexual violence in their communities. This training addresses educating men multi-culturally, as well as educating men in mixed gender and male only situations.
Who should attend: Domestic violence and sexual assault program advocates and their community partners who are interested in supporting men and boys to become allies in the work to promote healthy masculinity, healthy relationships and create safer communities by preventing violence before it begins.
Rus Funk is a pioneer in the field of engaging men and preventing violence before it occurs. Rus has been working for over 25 years to address social, racial, gender and sexual justice across the country and internationally. He is currently the co-founder and Executive Director of MensWork: eliminating violence against women and provides coaching and support to several statewide coalitions on engaging men and other violence prevention related topics.
To reserve a hotel room at $104 rate, contact The Century House at 518. 785.0931 and ask for the block of rooms held under NYSCADV. Reservations for this rate must be made by March 20th. Click here for more information about the Century House.
To register for this event, click here. |
Around the State ~ NYS Budget
All signs are pointing to an on-time State Budget. Hopefully, all domestic violence programs across the State has contacted Legislative leadership in both houses and their own legislators (see our 2/12/13 Policy Update and Action Alert). For more information about our concerns regarding how the Executive's Proposed Budget will impact domestic violence service providers and the victims who they assist, please read our human services testimony and our public protection testimony. NYSCADV is always interested in the feedback that you receive from your legislators. If you have time to share, please call us at 518-482-5465 or email us at policy@nyscadv.org. NYSCADV will keep you up to date on any developments. |
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Around the State - LAD
The NYSCADV Legislative Awareness day (LAD) will be held on Monday, April 22nd in The Well of the Capitol. Please stay tuned for an announcement that will detail the theme and the agenda.
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Around the Nation
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Around the Nation - VAWA
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) reauthorization is on its way to the President to be signed into law! Even though there was concern about which version would be passed in the House, the inclusive version that NYSCADV supports was passed on February 28th. NYSCADV thanks the steadfast efforts of the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) and the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women for their work on the Hill and their communication with everyone concerned about this issue.
All but one of the New York State Congress Members voted for the inclusive version of VAWA (Tom Reed did not vote). Please call your Congressional leaders and thank them for their bi-partisan support of one of the most important pieces of legislation for victims of domestic and sexual violence!
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Around the Nation - Sequestration
NYSCADV is very disappointed that our leaders did not prevent the cut of $85 Billion as the result of sequestration. As mentioned in the 2/25/2013 Action Alert, this will means that all current (FY-12) OVW funding contracts will remain intact and programs will continue being funded at their current levels, even if they have not been drawn down. However, OVW will experience approximately $20 million in cuts in the upcoming fiscal year (FY-13), which starts in September 2013. This likely will not result in the termination of any existing programs but could mean funding reductions in future grant programs. Click this link for White House estimates. These cuts are not imminent as the Department of Justice could decide to leave the VAWA funds untouched. But, the uncertain nature of the cuts are troublesome. |
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Around the Nation ~
National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day ~
March 10th
HIV/AIDS is a serious public health issue in the United States. Women of all ages can get HIV/AIDS, and they account for approximately 24 percent of all HIV diagnoses. Today, women represent a larger share of new HIV infections than they did earlier in the epidemic, with nearly 280,000 women living with HIV/AIDS in the United States. Women of color are particularly affected, as they accounted for two-thirds (64%) of new AIDS diagnoses among women in 2010.
Intimate partner violence is a risk factor for HIV and HIV is a risk factor for further abuse. For more information about these risks, please visit the National Online Resource Center on Violence Against Women (VAWnet) for more about the connection between intimate partner violence and HIV/AIDS. Because of these risk factors, this awareness day is a great opportunity to conduct awareness events in your shelters and offices. See their website for resources. |
Around the Nation ~ VAWnet Usability Study
People who work with individuals who are affected by domestic violence are being asked to participate in a study being conducted by the University of North Carolina at Greenboro (UNCG). UNCG is implementing a usability study of the National Online Resource Center for Violence Against Women (VAWnet). VAWnet aims to connect domestic violence service providers with useful research and information through an online collection of materials that address domestic violence and related topics. The purpose of this study is to assess usability of the information on VAWnet and to explore how well VAWnet meets the information seeking needs of domestic violence service providers.
If you are interested in participating in the study, please follow this link to complete a brief online survey. Participants will be given the opportunity to enter a drawing for one of two $50 store gift cards. |
Around the Nation ~ Child Pornography Study
The National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC) is conducting a study of adult survivors of child sexual abuse that involved sexually explicit images taken when they were age 17 or younger. They are asking for people who had this experience to consider helping others by completing this survey which aims to find ways to help meet the complex needs of victims of this crime. |
 Around the Nation ~ NO MORE DAY
Save the date!
NO MORE, which is the first unifying symbol to express support for ending domestic violence and sexual assault, is having an event on March 13th in Washington, DC.
Major domestic violence and sexual assault organizations in the U.S. are supporting NO MORE including men's organizations like A Call To Men and Men Can Stop Rape, as well as the National Domestic Violence Hotline, loveisrespect.org, Futures Without Violence, and the U.S. Dept. of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women.
Join NO MORE for the first official NO MORE day on March 13th in Washington DC. Go to their website to sign up for alerts regarding the event. |
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Around the Nation ~
National Crime Victims' Rights Week
April 21 - 27, 2013
Spearheaded by the US Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime since 1981, National Crime Victims' Rights Week has challenged the nation to confront and remove barriers to full justice for victims of crime. This year's theme, New Challenges New Solutions, echoes the mission of OVCs strategic Initiative, Vision 21: Transforming Victim Servces.
NYSCADV would like to showcase the events that will be happening around the state organized by member programs. Please send information and flyers about these events to nyscadv@nyscadv.org. We will put this information to our website.
Visit the OVC NCVRW website for the resource guide and materials to help you develop an event in your community. |
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Educational Opportunities
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OVC Web Forum ~ Meeting the legal needs of adult and minor victims of trafficking.
March 6, 2013
The Office for Victims of Crime hosts OVC HELP which is a web forum for victim service providers and allied professionals to connect with peers and share ideas about best practices.
On March 6th, at 2 p.m. ET, OVC, in coordination with BJA, will conduct a Web Forum Guest Host Session on meeting the legal needs of adult and minor victims of human trafficking. Jean Bruggeman, Esq., and Robin Hassler Thompson, M.A., J.D., will lead the discussion. To submit questions, click here and then click on 'ask your questions" in the blue box to the right side of the page. |
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Driving Change Conference
April 10 - 11, 2013
The DRIVING CHANGE Conference, presented by the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center, will provide training to communities and organizations interested in learning about the Domestic Violence High Risk Team Model as well as provide ongoing education to those in the field that have already implemented the model. Click here for more information. |
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Conference on Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence and Stalking
April 3-5, 2013
This conference is hosted by End Violence Against Women International and will be held in Baltimore, Maryland. Click here for more information. |
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Funding Opportunities
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Publications/Websites of Interest
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New Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
In January, the Centers for Disease Control released data on interpersonal and sexual violence by sexual orientation.
The study found that lesbians and gay men reported IPV and SV over their lifetimes at levels equal to or higher than those of heterosexuals; with sexual orientation based on respondents' identification at the time of the survey. The survey also found that bisexual women (61.1 percent) report a higher prevalence of rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner compared to both lesbian (43.8 percent) and heterosexual women (35 percent). Of the bisexual women who experienced IPV, approximately 90 percent reported having only male perpetrators, while two-thirds of lesbians reported having only female perpetrators of IPV.
The data presented in this report do not indicate whether violence occurs more often in same-sex or opposite sex couples. Rather, the data show the prevalence of lifetime victimization of intimate partner violence, sexual violence and stalking of respondents who self-identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual at the time of the survey and describe violence experienced with both same-sex and opposite-sex partners. For more information, click here. |
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Report of the Attorney General's National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence
The U.S. Department of Justice launched the Defending Childhood Initiative in 2010 to conduct an in-depth examination of the problem of children exposed to violence. Recently, the Attorney General's National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence released their final report and recommendations, which can be found here. |
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Through Our Eyes: Children, Violence, and Trauma
OVC released of a new video series titled Through Our Eyes: Children, Violence, and Trauma. This series includes a public awareness video and three topic-specific videos - Treatments That Work, The Child Advocacy Center Model, and Community-Based Approaches - and a resource guide. Click here to view this online resource to better understand how children are affected by violence and trauma. |
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Teen Dating in the Digital Age
The Urban Institute's Justice Policy Center released a new study examining the role technology plays in teen dating abuse. Click here for more information. |
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Directory to Assist Anti-Human Trafficking Task Forces and Service Providers
The Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center (OVC TTAC) compiled a directory to assist Anti-Human Trafficking Task Forces and service providers in locating relevant training and technical assistance resources. Click here for the directory. |
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Job Opportunities
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OVC TTAC Seeks Human Trafficking Team Leader
OVC TTAC's Human Trafficking Team Leader position provides technical support and oversight on human trafficking project design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. The Team Leader must also plan and carry out numerous concurrent activities on behalf of the project and the client. For more information, click here. |
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Communications
New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence
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