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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Violence Against Women Act was enacted in 1994
3 in response to the domestic battery events occurring across the
4 nation; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Violence against women is a major cause of reduced
6 quality of life, distress, injury, and death for women and has
7 serious secondary effects for families, communities, and the
8 economy; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Violence against women takes many forms,
10 including battering, sexual harassment, and rape; and
 
11     WHEREAS, More than one in five adult women experience at
12 least one physical assault by a partner during adulthood; as
13 many as one of every two women are affected by sexual
14 harassment over the course of their working lives; and
15 approximately one in eight women have experienced a sexual
16 assault in their lifetimes; and
 
17     WHEREAS, Research reveals a high prevalence of acute and
18 chronic mental and physical health consequences resulting from
19 violence against women; and
 
20     WHEREAS, Being assaulted by or witnessing assaults toward

 

 

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1 family members in childhood or adolescence increases the
2 likelihood of mental health problems, substance abuse, and
3 involvement in abusive relationships for both women and men;
4 and
 
5     WHEREAS, Gender and gender relations play critical roles in
6 directing violence toward women; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Understanding violence against women requires
8 examining the power inequalities between men and women,
9 including legal, economic, and physical power inequalities;
10 and
 
11     WHEREAS, Women living in poverty are at especially high
12 risk for all types of violence-particularly severe and life
13 threatening assaults; and
 
14     WHEREAS, Psychologists, as researchers, service providers,
15 and policy advocates, have important roles to play in educating
16 the public and preventing and treating violence against women;
17 and
 
18     WHEREAS, Levels of assaultive and lethal violence against
19 women remain high, despite two decades of increased awareness
20 and legislation; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, The federal Violence Against Women Act is a staple
2 in the movement to confront violence against women and family
3 members; and
 
4     WHEREAS, Cuts in the federal budget have adversely affected
5 the Violence Against Women Act; therefore, be it
 
6     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
7 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
8 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge the Congressional
9 members of the State of Illinois and the entire United States
10 Congress to continue funding the federal Violence Against Women
11 Act; and be it further
 
12     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this Resolution be
13 forwarded to the Illinois Congressional delegation, the
14 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the
15 Majority Leader of the United States Senate.