NCJ Number
167057
Journal
Georgetown Journal on Fighting Poverty Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Dated: (Fall 1995) Pages: 5-11
Date Published
1995
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article presents a program summary and recommendations from a symposium on the link between violence and poverty in the lives of women and their children.
Abstract
The symposium brought together researchers, service providers, and women who have experienced violence and poverty in their own lives. The morning panel focused on the impact of violence on women's lives and the effect that violence has on women's ability to support themselves and their families. Panelists discussed the economic, physical, and social impact of domestic violence and highlighted the particular harm suffered by poor women and women of color. The keynote speaker, U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, focused on the need to develop a national agenda for children that addresses violence in their homes, on their streets, and in their schools. Senator Joseph Biden reaffirmed his leadership in combatting violence against women. He urged the participants to get involved in the State and local implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and encouraged advocates to educate their communities about the newly enacted civil rights provision of the Act that allows women to sue their batterers for damages when the violence is gender-motivated. The afternoon panelists described the broader context in which violence against women must be viewed, raising concerns about economic and institutional violence. Finally, the symposium speakers issued their "call to action" and offered recommendations for short-term and long-term strategies to end violence against women and provide women opportunities to move up and out of poverty.