October is Domestic Violence
Awareness Month
In 1995, the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence
(NRCDV) convened several national domestic violence organizations -
the Family Violence Prevention Fund, the National Coalition Against
Domestic Violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline and later
the National Network to End Domestic Violence - to launch a new effort
to support domestic violence programs' awareness and education efforts
for Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), observed annually in October.
The collaborative effort became the Domestic Violence Awareness Project
(DVAP).
Today, the DVAP is a diverse and unique partnership of
local, tribal, state and national domestic violence organizations and
networks. The DVAP collaborates to collect, develop and distribute resources
and ideas relevant to advocates' ongoing public and prevention awareness
and education efforts not only in preparation for DVAM, but also throughout
the year. The work of the DVAP strives to creatively bring to life its
statement of purpose:
The Domestic Violence Awareness Project (DVAP) supports
the rights of all women and girls to live in peace and dignity. Violence
and all other forms of oppression against all communities of women and
their children must be eliminated. To change belief systems and practices
that support violence against all women, the DVAP recognizes and promotes
the participation of the entire community in building social intolerance
towards domestic violence.
The purpose of the DVAP is to support and promote the
national, tribal, state and local advocacy networks in their ongoing
public education efforts through public awareness campaigns, strategies,
materials, resources, capacity-building and technical assistance. These
strategies include campaigns that address the victimization of women
throughout their lifespan. The voices, leadership and expertise of women
who have been battered are acknowledged as critical and necessary components
of these campaigns.
http://dvam.vawnet.org/
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