Every seven minutes a child dies as a result of violence and half of all children globally (1 billion) are victims of violence each year. The Strengthening Efforts to End Violence Against Children Act (SEEVAC) will update and strengthen existing U.S. Government efforts to end violence against children, improve interagency coordination in addressing violence, and promote the use of evidence-based strategies and information gathering capabilities.
FUTURES’ Vice President of Public Policy and Advocacy Kiersten Stewart co-writes about the importance of the Family Medical Leave Act, and how we need to expand it to include Paid Leave for survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, or abuse. Read the full article by Stewart and Becker here.
Futures Without Violence strongly opposes work requirements currently being discussed as part of the debt ceiling/budget negotiations because they would be particularly harmful to victims of domestic violence and children experiencing abuse and neglect. Read our statement on the issue here.
Safe Leave is an essential type of leave from work that allows survivors or family members close to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, sexual harassment, or stalking to take protected time off for many reasons related to the violence they’re experiencing. Safe leave is important because it allows survivors to maintain employment and the subsequent economic resources essential to gaining and maintaining safety. Read more on Safe Leave in our fact sheet.
The Healthy Families Act (HFA) sets a national paid sick days standard by providing workers in businesses with 15 or more employees to earn up to seven job-protected paid sick days each year. HFA specifies paid sick days can be used by survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking who need to take time off from work to seek medical attention, obtain assistance, seek services, seek relocation or take legal action to address the effects of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking for the employee or a family member.
The FAMILY Act establishes a national paid family and medical leave program. The Act provides workers with up to 12 weeks of partial income when they take time for their own serious health conditions, including pregnancy and childbirth recovery; the serious health condition of a family member; the birth or adoption of a child; to address the effects of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking and/or to make certain arrangements arising from the military deployment of a spouse, child or parent.
The bipartisan RISE from Trauma Act would make a big difference in the lives of families and communities most impacted by trauma. It would invest in the tools necessary for communities to recognize and coordinate services to prevent and address the effects of trauma.
FUTURES knows that Julie Su is the most qualified and best choice to be our next Secretary of Labor. We urge the Senate to move forward with speedy nominations hearings and confirmation process to confirm Julie Su.
In March, USAID released the Safe from the Start ReVisioned. Futures Without Violence has long advocated for a gender-transformative approach in humanitarian response that promotes women’s leadership, prioritizes support and advocacy for gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and survivor-centered response programming, and shifts funding, influence, and decision-making power to women and girls, in all their diversity, within humanitarian response systems.
FUTURES has witnessed the limitations of our workforce development system, which impacts the ability of survivors to access and successfully complete job training or education requirements. Survivors of gender-based violence and harassment often face unique barriers to accessing job training, education, and stable employment that our workforce development system fails to adequately address. Read our Workforce Development Recommendations here.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is continuing its barrage on human rights, imprisoning and executing protesters, notably the 10 year sentencing of a couple for dancing in the street. Leila Milani, Program Director, Global Policy & Advocacy, details what should be next for those advocating for and fighting with the people of Iran.
Representatives Klobuchar, Dingell, and Fitzpatrick introduce the bipartisan, bicameral Legislation to Strengthen Provisions Closing the Boyfriend Loophole. The evidence is clear: we need to keep firearms out of the hands of those who have a history of domestic violence and stalking. And this lifesaving bill would do just that.
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