First White House advisor to address violence against women

In an effort to do more to help fight violence against women, Vice President Joe Biden recently announced the first advisor to the White House. The effort to "shine a light" on the problem is being seen as a momentous occasion in American history.

It is a problem that continues to plague the globe, killing countless women and psychologically scarring millions more: violence. Violence against women, including date rape, domestic violence, stalking and sexual assault affects millions every year, with over one in three women having been physically or sexually assaulted at some point in their life. With two-thirds of female victims being harmed by someone they know and tens of thousands dying at the hands of a husband or intimate partner, the problem is one that is very real. In the early 90s, Vice President Joe Biden's former office drafted a bill designed to assist these women in a myriad of ways, including prosecution of crimes against women and mandatory restitution placed on convicted perpetrators. The landmark piece of legislation was cited as being:

"the greatest breakthrough in civil rights for women in nearly two decades."

After being signed as public law in 1994 by President Bill Clinton and then signed into law in 2006 by President George W. Bush, the act has received some controversial attacks by groups such as the ACLU. However, it remains one of the strongest links to helping women across America in their battle with violence. On June 26, Biden announced the appointment of Lynn Rosenthal as the first official advisor to the White House regarding Violence Against Women. In the White House release, Biden addressed the issue of violence against women, stating that more help is needed:

"My proudest legislative achievement in the Senate was passing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). We’ve made great strides since its passage – shining a light on an all too silent issue and reducing violence against women in significant numbers. But we have to do more," said Vice President Biden. "That’s why we’re here today – to do more. It’s an honor to announce the first ever White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, Lynn Rosenthal. Lynn is passionate about these issues and knows them backwards and forwards

Rosenthal has an extensive background serving those victims of domestic and sexual violence, including her advocacy role in the re-authorization of the VAWA itself. According to the National Domestic Violence Helpline (NDVH), she is currently the Executive Director of the National Network to End Domestic violence and the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence. She has also served in the trenches as a former director of a shelter. Her expertise in the areas of survivor-advocacy, federal policies related to violence against women and state/local community response programs will help her in her newly appointed role as advisor to both President Obama and Vice President Biden where she will do more than advise on domestic violence and sexual assault, but will:

be a liaison to the domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy community; coordinate with the Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) on implementation of Violence Against Women Act programs; coordinate with the Department of Health and Human Services on implementation of Family Violence Prevention Act services (including the National Domestic Violence Hotline); coordinate with the State Department and USAID on global domestic violence initiatives; and drive the development new initiatives and policy aimed at combating domestic violence and sexual assault with advocacy groups and members of Congress.

Although men are also victims of violence, U.S. Dept. of Justice Bureau of Justice statistics show that more than ten times the number of women are victims of intimate violence than men and are nearly 5 times as likely to become a victim of intimate partner violence than a man. Violence by an intimate partner accounts for over 20 per cent of violent crimes against women and only 2 per cent of violent crimes against men. Across the globe, a strong correlation to under-reporting of the violence is also linked to the level of intimacy involved, thereby leaving the numbers unofficially potentially much higher. One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. A reality that causes over $5 US billion annually, $4 US billion for direct medical services. There are also reports and studies that show about half of all deaths in women are due to her leaving an abusive relationship. In 2007, a report out of Pennsylvania revealed the detailed stories of victims who were murdered by their estranged husbands and ex-boyfriends following a history of violence and many of whom had protective orders. In Texas, the most recent annual report gave detailed accounts of 120 women who died at the hands of their intimate partners, many who were leaving. Those numbers are believed to be an underestimate of the true accounts and are multiplied across many states and even countries. The appointment of Lynn Rosenthal as the first official advisor to the White House on these very real issues is by far a landmarking event that serves as the action needed to fight for the safety and protection of women. To see the full length pdf version of the Act itself, click here.