Community invited to help #EndDVNow during October’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TN Tribune)—The latest report from The Violence Policy Center ranks Tennessee 10th in the nation for the rate that men kill women. The annual report, released just days before Domestic Violence Awareness Month, found that nearly 1,800 women nationwide were murdered by men in 2019. In Tennessee, the study found that 60 women were murdered by men and 84 percent of these homicides were committed by someone they knew. YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee has spent the last four decades on the frontlines of the domestic violence epidemic, offering shelter, services, and support to victims and their families.
This October, YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee is recognizing Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) with activities to educate the community about the crisis of domestic abuse. One in four women and one in seven men will be a victim of domestic violence in their lifetime. One in 15 children will be a witness to abuse. Children who witness abuse are more likely to be in an abusive relationship when they grow up.
“Everyone needs to know the facts about domestic violence,” said Sharon K. Roberson, President and CEO of YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee. “We’ve been doing this work for over four decades, and we can’t do it alone. We need the entire community to join us and work together to help break the cycle of abuse and save lives.”
Each week in October, YWCA will share information and resources for individuals to learn more and help us amplify our message. Follow us on our social media channels @YWCANashville on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and twitter and share our stories. You can also find detailed information on our website.
REPRESENT – Wear purple or display a purple ribbon on your door, mailbox, or tree. Purple represents survival, courage, peace, and dedication to ending violence. It is a salute to survivors and those we have lost to domestic violence. Take a photo of your purple show of support, post it on social media and tag @ywcanashville (#DVAM #EndDvNow)
EDUCATE – Domestic violence is all about power and control. It does not discriminate based on age, gender, religion, or socio economic background. Abuse can be emotional or physical or both. Learn the signs of Domestic Violence here and share with your network.
ADVOCATE – Oct. 18-23 is the Week Without Violence, a movement with YWCAs across the country and around the world to end violence against women and girls. At YWCA, we know that not all violence is acknowledged or responded to equally and that some victims go unrecognized or are even punished for reporting abuse. CONTACT our U.S. senators, and urge them to pass the Violence Against Women Act. Funding from VAWA helps us operate the Weaver Center. REGISTER for our upcoming webinar – The Criminalization of Women and Girls of Color and Survivors.
