September 13, 2014 (Washington D.C.) -- Congresswoman Susan Davis marked 20 years since President Bill Clinton signed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) on September 13, 1994 with a call to redouble efforts to end violence against women.

Hunter among those voted against extending protections to all women

By Miriam Raftery

January 26, 2013 (San Diego’s East County ) – One in four women has been a victim of domestic violence and nearly one in five has been raped during their lifetime, the Center for Disease Control reports.  Yet last year, House Republicans blocked reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act  (VAWA),  allowing it to expire rather than approve a Democratic proposal to expand  protections  from domestic violence for  Native American women, immigrant women and gay women.  

Now,  programs  funded by VAWA  for all women are in danger of disappearing, unless Congress takes action. Nationwide, VAWA supporters are organizing efforts to persuade Congress to pass a newly introduced VAWA bill before funds for all VAWA programs run out.

Advocates  of last session's VAWA measure hoped to end discrimination that has prevented  many women from getting help after violent assaults. Native American women are 2.5 times more likely to be sexually assaulted than any other racial group; one in three has been raped.  Undocumented immigrant women are often afraid to report domestic violence for fear of deportation. Battered women in same-sex relationships have been discriminated against when seeking shelter 45% of the time.