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MEET THE 700 WOMEN...
 MIKO
"On the walls I saw the vivid images of Hiroshima after the atomic bomb had been dropped--hollow eyes stared at me from behind the glass. For the first time in my life, I saw what it looked like to lose everything."
"I testified against my father in court, pointing at the same man with whom I spent late nights as a child sitting next to his workbench watching and talking to him while he tooled away on his electrical engineering projects. In court, my father's lawyer yelled to me across the courtroom, “So you finally got your father out of the house, didn't you?” And at that moment I understood what the people looking at me from Hiroshima had felt. I felt afraid, guilty, and ashamed."
With VAWA, Miko is able to access services and the help she needs to be healthy. VAWA has provided the funding and access to services that women and children need to end violence in their lives.
Read more from Miko >>
 MARYA
"I'm Marya. I grew up in Washington, D.C. in the '50s and '60s, with a mother who was a Ph.D. university professor and a father who was an official in the federal government. My father regularly, and very violently, beat up my mother. Sometimes every day for a week, sometimes just once a week, sometimes only once a month. Never predictably, but always terrifying. Anything could set him off."
"Undeniably the most significant factor keeping my mother bound to my father, was society's attitudes: They went (and in large part continue to go) something like this: whatever goes on in your home is not our concern, it's your problem to deal with."
VAWA has changed society's attitude about domestic violence. Domestic violence is no longer considered a private matter. But we must reauthorize VAWA to continue the momentum we've started for more funding for shelters and hotlines, more education and more women living in safety.
Read more from Marya >>
 KAREN
"I know it's frustrating to see people stay or go back to abusive relationships. But, there are many factors involved with staying and in returning. The biggest factor for me was fear for my life. I returned once because I still loved him, I loved the man that was my friend, who would go hiking with me, who would cook me dinner and comfort me when I was tired or sick. I loved the man who would play me music on his guitar, who would read me poetry and who would tenderly tell me he loved me. I wanted to believe that man existed. But when his promises proved to be lies again and again, I was supported enough by other people in my life to see this and to leave. "
When VAWA was passed in 2000, it defined the crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking, as well as identifying promising practices to respond to these crimes.
Read more from Karen >>
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WHY I SIGNED...
HALLE BERRY
 "I'm speaking out because I know women who are victims of domestic violence and rape. My work with the Jenesse Center (women's shelter) has shown me the horrors of violence perpetrated against women. But it has also shown me the fortitude, hope, and bravery of these women. It has shown me that we can change the way women are treated"
Read more from Halle Berry >>
MIRA SORVINO
 "Violence against women is a global human rights issue that affects everyone; men and women, husbands and wives, sons and daughters. All of us can and must play a role by changing attitudes, speaking out, and acting to stop this human rights abuse. If we can do something to turn it around and make our world safer for women, what earthly reason is there not to do it?"
Read more from Mira Sorvino >>
NICOLAS CAGE
 "Hello, my name is Nicolas Cage. I am writing to you about Amnesty International USA's 700 Women Project to re-authorize the Violence Against Women Act in Congress (S. 1197/HR2876). This legislation must be passed if we are going to prevent women in the U.S. from having to live in fear of gender-based violence and if we are really committed to helping survivors rebuild and reclaim their lives. "
Read more from Nicolas Cage >>
SHARE YOUR STORY
How has your life been affected by domestic violence? Share your story, or just tell us why you signed the 700women.org petition and help us reach more people with stories of strength and hope. Click here.
RECENTLY SUBMITTED STORIES
"From Battered Woman to Victor"
"Be Strong"
"For the children's sake"
Click here to read these stories >>
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO STOP THE VIOLENCE...
We're working hard to gather as many signatures as possible in a very short time. Please help us stop violence against women forever. Make a contribution today—$10, $100, $1000—every little bit helps! Click here.
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