It’s a startling statistic – nearly three out of four Americans personally know someone who is or has been a victim of domestic violence.
As part of the Mississippi Low-Income Initiative’s policy agenda in support of our state’s low-income single mothers, MLICCI unapologetically promotes and supports the strengthening of policies and laws to protect women from domestic violence.
We are also recognizing October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The designation began in 1981 by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence as a Day of Unity to connect battered women’s advocates across the country.
Although we’ve come a long way since the national legislation – Violence Against Women Act – passed in 1994, there is still work to be done.
Last year, we supported efforts to strengthen Mississippi’s domestic violence laws by adding the term “including spousal domestic abuse” to the “habitual, cruel and inhuman treatment” as grounds for divorce in our state. Because of the enhancements to this law, testimony of a “single credible witness,” which can include the abused spouse, can establish spousal domestic abuse in divorce cases and abuse can include threats, intimidation, emotion, l and other non physical abuse if it “rises above the level of unkindness or rudeness or incompatibility or want of affection.” Lawmakers also expanded protective orders to include people who aren’t married but live together.
But the struggle to protect domestic violence victims continues and we join others across the country this month to recommit ourselves to stopping the cycle of violence. Join us and #takeastand against domestic violence. Show support for survivors and speak out about domestic violence.
If you or someone you know needs assistance to combat domestic violence, contact the MS Coalition Against Domestic Violence at 1-800-898-3234 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233).