Dear Office of Management and Budget: Fund Gender-based Violence Programs
November 6, 2012
Futures Without Violence is proud to report that the past year has shown exciting commitments by the U.S. government to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls internationally:
- In December 2011, the U.S. released its National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. This plan, which implements U.N. Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, is a strong step towards ensuring a positive U.S. role in the safety of women and children in conflict zones as well as their full inclusion in peace-building processes.
- In August 2012, the White House released the Interagency U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally. This strategy, which has been at the core of the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA), is the first government-wide effort of its kind and puts the weight of U.S. foreign policy and international assistance behind ending the global epidemic of gender-based violence.
To keep the momentum going, FUTURES and coalition partners wrote a letter asking the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to support funding to implement boththe U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence Globally and the National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security. Funding for these initiatives would go directly to the women and girls around the world who need it most. Programming would range from safe school initiatives preventing violence and harassment of girls on the way to, from, and at school to social norm change programs that engage men and boys, elders, as well as local and religious leaders in combating harmful traditional practices targeted against women and girls.
