123STA T . 3 697PROCL A M AT I O N84 16 — S E PT. 14 , 2 0 09 INW I T N ES SW H E R E OF, I have he r e untos et my han d th i s f ourteenth day of Se p tem b er, in the year of our L ord t w o thousand nine, and of the Independen c eofthe U nited States of A merica the two hundred and thirty - fourth .B ARA CK OBA M A Proclam a ti o n8416 o fSep tem b er 14 ,20 0 9Fifte e n t hA nni v e rsa r yo f the V io l en c eA g ainst W o m en Act BythePr e sid e n t of the U nited S t a tes of Am eri c a A Proc l amation Today, we commemorate a mi l estone in our Nation ’ s stru g gle to end violence against women. Authored by then United States Senator J oe Biden and signed into law in September 19 9 4 , the V iolence Against Women Act ( VAWA ) was the first law to create a comprehensive re- sponse to this problem at the national level. This landmar k achieve- ment has helped our Nation make great strides towards addressing this global epidemic. VAWA sought to improve our criminal j ustice system’s response to vi- olence against women and to increase services available to victims. It directed all 50 States to recogni z e and enforce protection orders issued by other jurisdictions, and it created new Federal domestic violence crimes. The law also authorized hundreds of millions of dollars to communities and created a national domestic violence hotline. This bipartisan accomplishment has ushered in a new era of responsi- bility in the fight to end violence against women. In the 15 years since VAWA became law, our Nation’s response to domestic violence, dating violence, se x ual assault, and stalking has strengthened. Communities recognize the special needs of victims and appreciate the benefits of collaboration among professionals in the civil and criminal justice sys- tem, victim advocates, and other service providers. With the support of VAWA funds, dedicated units of law enforcement officers and spe- cialized prosecutors have grown more numerous than ever before. Most importantly, victims are more likely to have a place to turn for help — for emergency shelter and crisis services, and also for legal assistance, transitional housing, and services for their children. D espite this great progress, our Nation’s work remains unfinished. More families and communities must recognize that the safety of our children relates directly to the safety of our mothers. Access to sexual assault services, especially in rural America, must be increased. Amer- ican Indian and Alaska Native women experience the highest rates of violence, and we must make it a priority to address this urgent prob- lem. We must also work with diverse communities to make sure the response to violence is relevant and culturally appropriate. We must prevent the homicide of women and girls who have suffered from do- mestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Far too many women in our communities and neighborhoods, and across the world, continue to suffer from violence. Inspired by the
