MPAC Honored to Attend Today’s VAWA Signing by Pres. Obama

March 7, 2013


MPAC was proud to witness the signing-in ceremony of the Reauthorization of the 2013 Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) held today, March 7, 2013, at the White House. MPAC was honored to be invited by the White House and recognized for its work on VAWA.  

SEE: President Obama’s Remarks at the Signing of VAWA (whitehouse.gov)

Last month, MPAC launched its community campaign, "Voices for VAWA: Muslims Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse,” to bring much-needed attention to this important piece of legislation that ensures protection and services are provided for women who are domestically and sexually abused. Working alongside its interfaith allies in Washington, DC, MPAC worked to mobilize American Muslims to be more vocal on this issue and contact their local Congressional members to vote for its reauthorization.

MPAC’s Young Leaders Program Coordinator, Yasmin Hussein, attended today’s ceremony at the Department of the Interior.

“This was a monumental event for all women and girls living in America, and a powerful reminder of the work we have still ahead of us,” she said.  “The amount of minority groups represented in the room was an impressive indication of the affect this issue has on all segments of our society.”

In his speech, Obama emphasized the importance of the legislation covering minority groups. In part, he said:

“Today is about the millions of women -- the victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault -- who are out there right now looking for a lifeline, looking for support.  Because of this bill, they’ll continue to have access to all the services that [Vice President] Joe [Biden] first helped establish 19 years ago.”

The Reauthorization of VAWA 2013 will strengthen college campus programs; work with states to reduce domestic violence homicides; provide protection to Native American women, immigrants and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered communities; fortify services for combatting sexual assault; and educate teens and young adults about stopping violence before it starts.  

MPAC continues to work on public policy issues that are critical to our community. As we were able to become an integral part of the conversation about VAWA, so too will we continue to work on critical domestic issues such as immigration and national security. 




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