Last month, I wrote a 10 Minutes of Torah post on domestic violence and the women at the center of the Purim story. After analyzing the character of Queen Vashti, I talked about the upcoming reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. Purim is still a few weeks away, but I find myself recalling this 10 Minutes of Torah post because of another observance: International Women's Day.
Today, March 8, is the 100th International Women's Day. Thousands of events are being held around the world to honor women and their contributions to society while also recognizing the work that still needs to be done to ensure equal rights. On this International Women's Day, with Purim right around the corner, I am reminded of the International Violence Against Women Act, a groundbreaking piece of legislation that failed to pass in the 111th Congress. I-VAWA would have built on the progress of the domestic Violence Against Women Act and provided concrete tools to women and other individuals fighting to change the circumstances which lead to violence against women and girls worldwide.
Much progress has been made in 100 years, but this tragic statistic still rings true: One out of three women worldwide will be physically, sexually, or otherwise abused during her lifetime, with rates as high as 70% in some countries. Tell your Senators and Representative to co-sponsor and vote for I-VAWA when it is reintroduced so that violence against women will be a thing of the past for future International Women's Days.
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