Ways to Get Involved

Local Events

Unite Women CT
April 28, 2012 Rally
Stand up! Speak out! Vote!

“On behalf of Unite Women in Connecticut, it is my pleasure to invite you to join the non-partisan Unite Against the War on Women Rally in Connecticut, one of more than 50 demonstrations occurring across the country on the same day. This gathering is another step in our fight to give women a chance to use their voices, defend their rights and pursue equality.

On April 28th, 2012 Americans across the county will come together as one to tell members of congress and legislators in all 50 states that “Enough is Enough!”. The rally in Connecticut will occur at Bushnell Park in Hartford from 10am-2pm. We are planning for a gathering of several thousand advocates.”

Who: All People Who Respect Women
What: A Rally Music/Dance/Speakers/ Bring signs/Bring a picnic/Children welcome!
Where: Bushnell Park in Hartford (near the Capitol)
When: April 28, 2012 10am-2pm
Rain or Shine

For a full list of speakers and entertainment, visit
www.UniteWomenCT.org

 

 

Logo Affiliate
Have you ever wanted to learn
how to use a jigsaw or nail gun?
Join Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County for

National Women Build Week, May 8-12, 2012
to help build the eighth Women Build home in Fairfield County.
(Men are welcome.)
No construction experience is necessary. Volunteers learn new and exciting skills on the jobsite in an inclusive and noncompetitive environment. And, there are many non-construction involvement opportunities available, including positions on event and planning committees.

 

 

Young Women’s Leadership Program: The Young Women’s Leadership Program was established in 2006 as a project of the Connecticut General Assembly’s Permanent Commission on the Status of Women. The mission of the program is to promote awareness and inspire and empower young women, ages 18-35, to emerge as leaders. It is led by a group of young women representing a wide variety of career fields and areas of expertise. These young women are leaders and catalysts for change and bring their energy, passion, and dedication for their work to the program.

What Do You Get From Being an Official YWLP Member?

  • Access to a unique network of Connecticut women ages 18-35;
  • The quarterly electronic YWLP newsletter and the opportunity to be selected for the “member spotlight” section;
  • Information about upcoming events and volunteer opportunities, before anybody else; and
  • The ability to become a YWLP blogger!

The Connecticut Women’s Consortium offers education and training about the complex lives and competing needs of women and their families to health care providers, clinicians, educators, social service agencies, and the media. We advocate on behalf of women at the Capitol, speaking with policymakers, analyzing policy, and serving on statewide task forces and initiatives that address a wide array of women’s issues. The Connecticut Women’s Consortium is not a direct service provider, instead they represent as all of Connecticut’s women, across their life spans, who are struggling with mental health and substance use disorders, interpersonal violence, access to respectful and consistent health care, and the stigma associated with these concerns. Women most in need of services are poor, parenting, at risk of homelessness, and without resources for health care, education, and job opportunities.

National Events

Make your voice heard…

Calling all colleagues at the national and state level who care about STOPPING the violence!

VAWA is moving and NOW is the time to tell Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act! VAWA is moving quickly toward reauthorization and will be marked up (amended and voted on) in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, February 2nd at 10am. VAWA now has 29 sponsors! But we need EVERY Senator on the Senate Judiciary Committee to support VAWA during mark up! Please take the following actions to get VAWA reauthorized SWIFTLY!

TAKE ACTION TODAY! Suggested actions for this week include:

1. Call Senators to urge co-sponsorship and votes for VAWA in the Senate Judiciary mark-up this Thursday.

2. Participate in this week’s blog carnival for VAWA.

3. Invite your Representative to attend the VAWA House Briefing on Tuesday at 10:30.

Action 1: Call (http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm) your Senators today to ask them to sponsor and support VAWA, S. 1925. Calls must be made before the Senate Judiciary Committee meets on Thursday, February 2 at 10 am to discuss and vote on VAWA. Thank your Senators if they are one of the 29 bipartisan sponsors. If not, urge them to become a sponsor, ESPECIALLY if they are on the Judiciary committee (http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/about/members.cfm). Judiciary committee members Senators Cornyn, Grassley and Kyl were sponsors of VAWA 2005-we must reach out to these three Senators especially.

2005 VAWA sponsors not yet a sponsor of VAWA 2012: 19

Akaka, Daniel K. - (D – HI)

Baucus, Max - (D – MT)

Bingaman, Jeff - (D – NM)

Cantwell, Maria - (D – WA)

Carper, Thomas R. - (D – DE)

Cochran, Thad - (R – MS)

Collins, Susan M. - (R – ME)

Cornyn, John - (R – TX)

Grassley, Chuck - (R – IA)

Hatch, Orrin G. - (R – UT)

Hutchison, Kay Bailey - (R – TX)

Inouye, Daniel K. - (D – HI)

Johnson, Tim - (D – SD)

Landrieu, Mary L. - (D – LA)

Lieberman, Joseph I. - (ID – CT)

Mikulski, Barbara A. - (D – MD)

Nelson, Ben - (D – NE)

Nelson, Bill - (D – FL)

Pryor, Mark L. - (D – AR)

Snowe, Olympia J. - (R – ME)

Action 2: Participate in a blog carnival for VAWA: The National Task Force urges you to write a blog this week as part of a HERvotes blog carnival on VAWA. HERvotes is a coalition of women’s rights organizations and activists who have been blogging on important issues facing women in the upcoming elections. Please e-mail your blog posts to Emily Alfano (Emily@ncjwdc.org) with the National Council of Jewish women with your name, contact information, organization (if appropriate), title, and link if it’s published on a website already. She will make sure your blog gets published on the site or linked. Have questions? Email Emily.

Action 3: Call your U.S. Representatives and invite them or their staff to Tuesday’s Congressional House briefing on VAWA: Last Thursday’s Senate briefing was a rousing success, with 35 staff among the 120 attendees. Please make that call to your House member’s staff (http://www.house.gov/representatives/) and ask them to attend. Tuesday, January 31, 2237 Rayburn House Office Building, 10:30 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.

To see if your Senator has signed on to VAWA, go to http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.php and type in S. 1925 in the bill search box.

VAWA is facing its first test this Thursday and we need to show our massive support for reauthorizing this important law. If you are in a national organization please sign onto the national letter (below). If you already have, please forward this request to your state and local affiliates and suggest that they add their name. If you are a state organization, please circulate the “local orgs” sign on letter to your state and community coalitions partners working on women’s, civil, human and economic rights.

To add your name to either of the attached letters, send your name, org, address and other contact information to ReauthorizeVAWA@gmail.com and if you need more information go to www.4vawa.org or contact jfulcher@breakthecycle.org

How to:  Copy the letter below into your writing template, sign, print, and send!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

DATE: _________________

Dear Representative:

We, the undersigned organizations, represent millions of victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking, and the professionals who serve them, throughout theUnited Statesand territories.  On behalf of the victims we represent, we ask that you support the Violence Against Women Act’s (VAWA) reauthorization.

VAWA’s programs support state, tribal and local efforts to address the pervasive and insidious crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking.  These programs have made great progress towards keepingvictims safe and holding perpetrators accountable.  This critical legislation must be reauthorized to ensure a continued response to these crimes.

Since its original passage in 1994, VAWA has dramatically enhanced our nation’s response to violence against women.  More victims report domestic violence to the police and the rate of non-fatal intimate partner violence against women has decreased by 53%.  The sexual assault services program in VAWA helps rape crisis centers keep their doors open to provide the frontline response to victims of rape.  VAWA provides for a coordinated community approach, improving collaboration between law enforcement and victim services providers to better meet the needs of victims.  These comprehensive and cost-effective programs not only save lives, they also save money.  In fact, VAWA saved nearly $12.6 billion in net averted social costs in just its first six years.

VAWA has unquestionably improved the national response to these terrible crimes.  We urge you to support VAWA’s reauthorization to build upon its successes and continue to enhance our nation’s ability to hold perpetrators accountable and keep victims and their children safe from future harm.

We look forward to working with you throughout the reauthorization process.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Juley Fulcher with Break the Cycle at jfulcher@breakthecycle.org, Rob Valente with the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges at robvalente@dvpolicy.com, or Terri Poore with the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence at tpoore@fcasv.org.

Sincerely,

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Connecticut, we are proud of you!

ATTORNEY GENERAL URGES CONGRESS
TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS TO HELP VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
For immediate release WEDNESDAY JAN. 11, 2012
HARTFORD – Attorney General George Jepsen has joined with 52 other state and territorial Attorneys General in urging Congress to continue government support for vital programs that help women and families who fall victim to domestic violence.
The Attorneys General sent a letter today asking Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (“VAWA”), first passed in 1994, which is credited with helping to reduce rates of domestic violence and making services available to victims and families on the local, state and federal levels.
“Unfortunately the need for these programs has not gone away in Connecticut or the rest of the country,” Attorney General Jepsen said. “Women, particularly young women and mothers of young children, need help more than ever to protect themselves from violence and abuse. Continued funding would ensure that help — from domestic violence hotlines to emergency shelter, transportation and legal representation— continues to be available.”
The Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence reported that 54,178 victims of domestic violence were helped by the Coalition’s 18 agencies during the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2011.
Among them: 21,986 were victims in crisis; 1,364 adults and 1,038 children stayed in emergency safe homes because they were in serious physical danger and had no other safe options; and 13,062 adults, 283 teens who experienced dating violence and 908 children received support services, such as counseling, legal advocacy, referrals and assistance with developing safety plans.
These programs also reported that the economy and high unemployment have created a greater demand for services, while funding has decreased.
“We can’t allow this critical network of support to shut down for lack of funding,” Jepsen said.
The Violence Against Women Act was last reauthorized in 2006. The Attorneys General said that reauthorization would also allow development of new programs aimed at addressing the high rates of domestic violence, intimate partner violence, dating violence and sexual assault against women aged 16-24; sharing best practices to help law enforcement, healthcare and legal systems improve their response to sexual assault victims; and improve training for law enforcement, victim advocates and others to help prevent domestic violence homicides.
“Reauthorizing VAWA will send a clear message that this country does not tolerate violence against women and show Congress’ commitment to reducing domestic violence, protecting women from sexual assault and securing justice for victims,” the Attorneys General wrote.
Attorney General Jepsen has long been an advocate against domestic violence and as a legislative leader co-authored Connecticut’s first comprehensive plan to prevent violence against women.
A member of the Men Make A Difference, Men Against Domestic Violence advisory group, Jepsen added a domestic violence resource page to the Attorney General’s website. The information may be accessed at http://www.ct.gov/ag/lib/ag/currentissues/domesticviolenceresources.pdf.
Jepsen encouraged anyone dealing with domestic violence issues to contact the 24-hour, toll-free hotline of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
The number is 1-888-774-2900.
###
CONTACT: Susan E. Kinsman, susan.kinsman@ct.gov; 860-808-5324; cell: 860-478-9581
Facebook.com/AGGeorgeJepsen; Twitter.com/AGJepsen;

International Women’s Day: March 8, 2012

There are more than 155 events happening across the nation in celebration of women!

National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day: March 20 2012

Women’s Fitness Day: September 26 2012

International Events

**If there is something happening in your community – please let us know!**

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