Is The Policy Workable?

In the most recent data available from 2015, it was disclosed that nearly 92,000 Canadians had report to the police an incident related to domestic violence; of this number, 80% of them were women (Burczycka, 2017). It is then no surprise that intimate partnership violence has been found to be one of the major causes of violence against women in Canada (Ministry of the Status of Women, 2015). Many agencies focus on supporting directly the female victims and providing them with secured shelters and safe spaces to rebuild themselves after leaving their abusive relationship (Shelter Safe, 2017). However, a need to address domestic violence from the roots arose in Ontario1982, when the community identified a gap in the offer of programs

Statistic’s have suggested violence is perpetrated against women in almost half of all marriages (Domestic Violence).Statistic’s gathered from 1994 indicate domestic violence causes almost 100,000 days of hospitalization, 30,000 emergency room visits, 40,000 trips to the doctor every year, and 50% of all homeless woman and their children are fleeing domestic violence( Domestic Violence).

To remain sustainable, VAWA (2013) continues to provide grant funding for programs that aim to reduce and prevent domestic violence, sexual assault, and rape. VAWA (2013) also aims to fund culturally and linguistically relevant services. One of the major provisions of VAWA (2013) includes improved protections for immigrant victims by strengthening the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2005 (Civic Impulse, 2015).

POVA or Protection of Vulnerable Adults was changed and implemented to SOVA or Safeguarding of Vulnerable

Domestic violence against women is prevalent in almost all the societies in the world. It is an issue which was not even recognised as a crime 40 years ago and is still not recognized as a crime by many societies. Women suffer from violence, including physical, sexual, emotional, and psychological violence by strangers and their partners all over the world (Kaya, 2010). Even though it is a worldwide occurrence, there are some women who face more intense and frequent violence depending on their culture, country, religion,

In order for VAWA true intentions to be carried out, the pilot project needs to be implemented into all tribes and funding also needs to be distributed to every tribe whether recognized by the Unites States government or not. Just because a tribe is not “formal” does not mean that the native women do not experience assault. In fact “Native American women represent a unique class of victims among the larger population…”(Torpy,2008). This idea is still prevalent to today's Native American women and the struggles that they endure in their everyday

Illegal, Latina immigrant women experiencing domestic violence are highly unlikely to report this violence to law enforcement and are unable take legal action against their husbands. These women live in constant fear of being discovered and deported and consequently are unlikely to view law enforcement as a helpful resource. Immigrant women are more likely experience domestic violence due to a number of factors. Because of their illegal status, these women are more likely to live in poverty which, according to Bergen, means that they are more likely to experience male to female interpersonal violence (Bergen 2005). High in-home stress coupled with the constant fear of being discovered and deported also leads to a higher likelihood of violence (Barnett, Miller-Perrin, Perrin, 2011). Even if these women want to leave their home and take action against their husbands, most are economically dependent on their partners. While the United States has the Violence Against Women Act, or VAWA, which can aid illegal immigrants experiencing domestic violence in obtaining a visa, the fear of deportation keeps many women from seeking aid from social services and law enforcement. The lack of resources and fear ultimately allows domestic violence to perpetuate amidst an already vulnerable, invisible population.

Each change that has been made to VAWA over the few decades has made some attempts to fill in the holes left by the previous enactments. However, recent executive orders have arguably begun to strip away what VAWA had built. These recent changes are only making this already vulnerable group of women even more vulnerable.

The mandatory arrest law, falling under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), though originally passed in 1994, has been reauthorized in 2000 and 2005. With the VAWA expiring in 2011, reauthorization of this act, including its

A battered spouse or child a U.S. citizen or permanent resident may file for an immigrant visa petition under the Immigration and Nationality Act, as Amended by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). A battered parent may file if their son or daughter is a U.S. citizen. The filing of the petition is without the abuser’s knowledge, who will never be notified about the filing, and allows the victim to gain safety and independence from the abuser. The VAWA provisions apply equally to women and men and are permanently within the INA without need for congressional reauthorization.

“Domestic violence is a type of abuse by one or both partners in marriage, friends, family, dating or cohabitation” (Aziz & Mahmoud, 2010). There are many forms of abuse from verbal and emotional to physical that often escalates over time in intensity for the victim. Data from the criminal justice system, hospital patient medical records and mental health records, police reports, surveys and social services reports of thousands of women revealed that many are injured and killed as a result of violence from someone close to them. “The US Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) defines domestic violence as a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender” (Robertson & Murachver, 2009). Researchers and the criminal justice system have not been able to agree on a clear definition to domestic violence which can range from physical injury, stalking, verbal abuse and humiliation, denial of shelter and access to money, and intimidation through aggressive behaviors. The definition of domestic violence may vary but the results from physical injury, mental and emotional trauma, and sometimes even death can last a life time.

Domestic violence and sexual victimization is not just a national problem but an international and global issue that has no boundaries and no borders. This is also consider a public health concern that have crossed many generations and last a lifetime, still exist. This is a concern not just about women, but men, teenagers and children involved. It’s all about maintaining power and the control over the other person. Domestic violence takes place in all types of intimate relationships, not just within the same sex partner, but also females, dating or married partners, even between past or current relationships. This could be in forms of physical injury, verbal, emotional abuse, psychological trauma, economic, religious, sexual abuse and worse

There should be stronger laws and consequences for people who execute acts of domestic violence. Domestic violence is a devastating problem, which occurs in various cities, countries, towns, homes and communities. Domestic violence or as some refer to as “family violence” has recently been recognized as a catastrophic rising crisis all across the world and one which has many damaging and harmful effects on family members “more extensively women and children”, ones’ community and our nation. The only real recurrent denominator of domestic violence; due to a broad range of research is that the vast majority of its victims seem to be mostly women. Many believe that the increase in domestic violence could be because the collapse in the

An alternative to the VACAA is to use 15% of the VACAA’s $10 Billion fund (by the government) to recruit more physicians, including physicians abroad, to provide care in Veteran Affairs Medical Centers (VAMC) and hire more scheduling staff.

Domestic violence results in deepening poverty and compromises educational attainment and curtails developmental opportunities for women. It leads to physical violence, promotes sexual exploitation and the risk of contracting HIV infection, maternal morbidity and mortality, and trafficking of women and girls. Abuse may continue even after the woman has left the abusive relationship. There is need for further large-scale