Invite your friends and neighbors over for a movie and music night to help create awareness about the issues of domestic violence right from your own living room!  Click here for more information.

Prevention Connection: The Violence Against Women Prevention Partnership is a national project of the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault. The goal of Prevention Connection is to advance the primary prevention of violence against women by facilitating information sharing among people who are engaged in such efforts.  Click here to have a listen to the interview with the Sin by Silence team.

On May 14th, Governor Swarzenegger did exactly what we expected and elminated ALL funding for California’s domestic violence programs.  Already, the Grass Valley Shelter has announced that they will have to permanently close its’ doors on June 30th.  Click here to sign the petition and demand that the Governor restore FULL funding to the programs that help save lives.  We owe it to the women of California to make sure they have a safe place to go when they finally find the courage to leave their abusive relationships.

Norma is a 40-year-old survivor of domestic violence who was pregnant at the time that she killed her abusive boyfriend. In 1992, Norma was sentenced to 15-years-to-life in prison, and has now served 18 years at the California Institution for Women. Upon being imprisoned, Norma became a member of Convicted Women Against Abuse and has now been found suitable by the parole for release. Yet, the Governor has been reversing the parole board’s decisions in most cases thus, massive community support for Norma’s release is essential to securing her freedom!

Click here to send a letter to the Governor telling him that you support Norma’s release and that you trust the parole board to make the best determination about who is suitable for parole. She has never had the chance to pick her son up from school, bake him a birthday cake, teach him to fly a kite, read him a bedtime story or kiss him goodnight. Please help her come home!

Why Denim Day?  In Italy, in 1993, an 18-year old girl is picked up by her married 45-year old driving instructor for her very first lesson. He takes her to an isolated road, pulls her out of the car, wrestles her out of one leg of her jeans and forcefully rapes her. Threatened with death if she tells anyone, he makes her drive the car home. Later that night she tells her parents, and they help and support her to press charges. The perpetrator gets arrested and is prosecuted. He is convicted of rape and sentenced to jail.

He appeals the sentence. The case makes it’s all the way to the Italian Supreme Court. Within a matter of days the case against the driving instructor is overturned, dismissed, and the perpetrator released. In a statement by the Chief Judge, he argued, “because the victim wore very, very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them, and by removing the jeans it was no longer rape but consensual sex.”

So, put on those jeans and let’s make a statement to STOP THE VIOLENCE!

“How do we break the silence around domestic violence? On the next Your Call, we’ll speak with Olivia Klaus, director of Sin by Silence, a domestic violence documentary about incarcerated women speaking out. We’ll also be joined by Brenda Clubine. She spent 26 years in prison and founded Convicted Women Against Abuse to change laws and raise awareness. Why is it still so hard to talk about domestic violence?”

Click here to listen to the interview.

This crucial age is when many women make the decision to leave a relationship and look out for future warning signs or enter the cycle of violence. The documentary, Sin By Silence offers a unique gateway for young women to see how irrevocable the decision to stay can be.

Relationships can be a difficult subject to discuss for family members. Often a family member has a suspicion about a partner, yet judgments can do far more to hurt than to help.

Violent relationships are difficult to talk about because of embarrassment and shame, but time is ticking and every moment counts. If you suspect that a family member is currently in an abusive relationship, there are many ways to connect with them.

Educate yourself on the warning signs of violent relationships.

Listen. Believe. Support.

Ask questions.

Order Sin By Silence on DVD and watch the film together.

Understand their reasons for why they need to stay in the relationship and offer options.

Help create a safety plan.

Women are perpetrators of domestic violence as frequently as men are.

NOT TRUE: Men are the batterers in more than 95% of all reported cases.

Battery is an anger management problem.

NOT TRUE: If domestic violence were an anger management problem, then batterers would also punch out fellow employees or neighbors. A batterer hurts the vulnerable person in his life to maintain control.

The victims of domestic violence are dysfunctional women who don’t know any better and like the drama.

NOT TRUE: Two-thirds of women in domestic violence cases are “normal.” They could be your mother, sister or friend.

Batterers don’t enjoy hitting their victim; they just can’t control themselves.

NOT TRUE: New research indicates that many batterers are bullies who actually enjoy causing physical injury and exerting control over their victim.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, remember that for many women this is just another day living in fear. Let someone know they are loved. Woman to woman, mother to daughter, friend to friend…we can all make a difference! Click here to send a card.