OVW joins the nation in recognizing February as National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month (TDVAM).  In his Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month Proclamation President Obama called on all Americans “to stand against dating violence when we see it.”  At a time when an estimated 1 in 10 teens will experience dating [...]

Every morning at the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), as one of our first items of business, my staff and I check the headlines related to violence against women – many of those stories involve stalking. On just one day, I read about a murder suspect who was arrested for stalking a witness; a [...]

This month, we celebrated two important and globally recognized awareness days: World AIDS Day, observed on December 1st, and Human Rights Day, observed on December 10th. In the Proclamation that President Obama issued to commemorate World AIDS Day 2012, he highlighted the Administration’s pledge to prevent the spread of AIDS, to rid our nation of [...]

I am pleased to announce the completion and release of the Final Report of the National Advisory Committee on Violence Against Women (NAC).  When Attorney General Holder re-chartered the NAC in 2010, his interest was in learning more about solutions to protect children from the harmful consequences of experiencing and witnessing violence in the home.  Developed [...]

Last month I was honored to chair the Department of Justice’s 7th Annual Government-to-Government Consultation on Violence Against Native Women. During the consultation I had the opportunity to hear from tribal leaders from across the nation who share the department’s commitment to the safety of Native American women and children. The tribal leaders shared stories [...]

 In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy,  recovery efforts continue throughout the Northeast region, especially in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. Over the past several days, OVW staff has been in contact with our grantees and state coalitions to better understand the challenges you are facing and the pressing needs of your programs.  Last week [...]

Last week communities across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast braced for an historic storm as Hurricane Sandy made landfall on the East Coast. Those of us in Washington, D.C. watched with shock and sadness as the storm left a path of destruction throughout New Jersey, Connecticut and my home state of New York.  As recovery efforts [...]

The Office on Violence Against Women, along with the entire Department of Justice, the President and the Vice-President, is proud to join with our partners in the field to recognize October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. If you have not already seen it, take a moment to read President Obama’s 2012 National Domestic Violence [...]

 It’s the time for students to head back to school.  We are often reluctant to acknowledge and talk about risks and safety at school – especially related to sexual assault and dating violence, but we must. One of President Obama’s goals for educators nationwide is to “produce a higher percentage of college graduates than any [...]

This month started off with a stark reminder of the importance of the work that each of us does every day. On June 5, Teresa Wilson, sister of West Virginia Coalition Against Domestic Violence co-director Tonia Thomas, was the victim of a brutal and fatal beating allegedly as a result of domestic violence by her [...]

“After almost a year as Principal Deputy Director, I am honored to be named the Acting Director of OVW. As we move forward, we will remain fully committed to OVW’s current priorities, which have the full support of the United States Department of Justice and the Office of the President of the United States…”