Congress should drive #HowIHelped

September 24, 2014

“#HowIHelped can start with investment in FVPSA and support those who need our help.” –@Kim_Gandy http://t.co/4XNEGywPZJ #endDV

— NNEDV (@nnedv) September 22, 2014

September 24, 2014 – Last week, as #WhyIStayed was trending on Twitter, we were reminded of the barriers that millions of domestic violence victims face every year. This social media trend and recent events with high profile perpetrators tells us that the threat of domestic violence is real, life-threatening and insidious. In fact, every day in this country, an average of three women are killed by a current or former intimate partner. The answer to “#WhyIStayed” is often “I was afraid and I didn’t have anywhere to go.”

For over a million victims, the federal government’s response to domestic violence has been part of the reason “WhyILeft.”

The challenge is that for too many women and children, #WhyIStayed is only a moment in popular culture. What happens when that moment passes?