The Violence Against Woman's Act is something that more people need to know about. The statistics are absolutely baffling and I think it's important to stay informed about current topics. As a female, I felt strongly about this act but it was upsetting that I had to learn about it so late in my lifetime.

I was first introduced to the VAWA when I was watching "Miss Americana" a Taylor Swift documentary. Whether you like Taylor Swift or not, she is using her platform to positively spread information about the VAWA and the importance of voting. I think that's an awesome quality to be able to have.

I decided to do my own further research to understand the topic and little did I know that I would be so invested. 1 in every 5 woman will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. Yes. 1 in every 5. This disgusting fact had me baffled, but it doesn't end there. Indigenous woman are 10 times more likely to be murdered than the average person. This really hit home for me. I visited a Navajo Reservation on a missions trip and learned all about the reservation and became attached to learning the lifestyles of the reservation. I will be making blog posts that specifically focus on the woman who live on reservations and the woman in the public eye making the VAWA known.

If these statistics haven't baffled you yet check out a few here.

- 69% of all sexual assault victims are under the age of 30

- 94% of woman who are raped experience some sort of post-traumatic stress related to the assault

- American Indians are twice as likely to experience sexual assault compared to all races.

If this information isn't enough to persuade you that America needs to change something, then I urge you to stay connected with my blog posts and instagram. Stay informed and educate yourself to make the best possible educated opinions on this topic. I hope that you can take this information and understand there are solutions. We can help people to stay safe. Rape should not be normal. Sexual assault should not be common.

The Violence Against Woman's Act was first passed in 1994. The act was signed under President Bill Clinton. It directly addressed crimes like domestic violence, sexual harassment and assault, and stalking. This act was originally passed in accordance to the Violent Crime Control Law Enforcement Act of 1994. This act was the first federal legislation designated to protect woman from violent crimes. The act was made to address crimes that victimize woman the most. The act was reauthorized in 2000, 2005, and 2013. However in it's most recent vote, it was not reauthorized. The re authorization of the act in 2013 included the protection of American Indians, same-sex couples, transgender men and woman, and protection for victims of human trafficking.

Some people find this act upsetting. I find this extremely unfortunate. This act protects woman from being mistreated. This is an act that basically just gives woman the right to be safe. But this is still not enough. "Men are being left out, men can be raped too". Yes, men can be raped too. However, it is not nearly enough to equate to the amount of woman who are raped DAILY. But still, yes men are raped and they also deserve protection from these kinds of crime. The VAWA does protect men. In fact, this act provides equal coverage for ANY victim of sexual assault, stalking, and rape. The act provides a gender-neutral text that allows protection for all victims.

It's sad that we have to have an act like this! But what's even worse is that people are still in opposition of this.

Please, please, please. I urge you to stay connected with your local and state elections. You want a candidate that believes in the safety of woman. As soon as you are eligible to vote, do your part to educate yourself.

By keeping up with my blog posts you can continue to learn about the VAWA and create educated decisions and opinions.

WEAR JEANS ON APRIL 29TH!!!

Denim Day all began in 1992. The 90's in Italy were a time of governmental change. Politics were corrupt and ever changing, scandals were being dug up from every corner of the government and voting had reached a new intensity. It was also a time when Italy declared war on the mafia. However in the southern area of the country an 18-year-old girl was being picked up for a driving lesson. The 45-year-old instructor began the lesson but the girl never knew that her life would change on that day.

The driver instructor raped and sexually assaulted the young girl. He threatened her life if she told anyone. The courageous girl was able to seek help from her parents and the police were involved. The instructor was convicted of charges pertaining to rape and sexual assault. Unfortunately a few years later the offender took the case and made an appeal. The case was turned around and the rapist was set free of all convictions. The reasoning? She was wearing tight jeans. Yes. In order for him to take the jeans off she would've had to help take the pants off, therefore implying consent.

Repulsive.

In 1998 people would not have it. Woman and men stood up for what they believed in and did not allow this to go unnoticed. Every year men and woman have been wearing jeans in protest of this horrid action.

On April 29th take initiation and wear denim! Bring awareness to sexual assault and rape.

In August of 2019, I was given the opportunity to attend a missions trip to the Navajo Nation. This is an area between New Mexico and Arizona that is reserved American Indian land. After a straight-through 30 hour bus ride, the mission team reached our destination. Upon arrival, we had to wait in a Walmart parking lot for about an hour due to a shooting just across from the building where we were staying. Once we safely arrived to the mission home we were briefed about the dangers of the surrounding area. Rattle snakes, deadly spiders, scorpions, cliffs, drug dealers, and drunks. They walked us through how to stay safe but most importantly they said to us, "you must be in groups of three or more at all times, please take and adult, and no groups of girls without a male." Okay, very comforting first night. Later we found out that human trafficking was running rampant through the Navajo Nation. Young girls and women often just disappear from the nation. During my stay I asked one of the leaders "Is there a mission field for woman? A safe house? A missionary team for girls who are being trafficked?" The answer was no. no. I couldn't believe it. No? I did some research at home and here are some statistics I came to find

• 1 in 3 American Indian women will be raped or encounter attempted rape

• On average, American Indians ages 12 and older experience 5,900 sexual assaults per year.

• American Indians are twice as likely to experience a rape/sexual assault compared to all races.

• 41% of sexual assaults against American Indians are committed by a stranger; 34% by an acquaintance; and 25% by an intimate or family member.

Part of the issue begins in their governmental system. The government is separate from the state. It is the Navajo council. As apart of their sacred traditions there is often a coming of age ceremony within their tribal community. However, very unfortunately, young women are often taken advantage of. This is not all of the communities in the Navajo Nation however it is too often.

It is important to educate and inform as I always say. If you are looking for a way to donate or get involved in the Navajo Nation I linked some helpful websites below.

More about the Navajo Nation- https://www.navajo-nsn.gov/history.htm

Across Nations Ministry- www.acrossnations.cc/ministries

End Modern day slavery- https://worthwhilewear.org/

More Sexual Violence Statistic- https://www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence

This beat project was an amazing experience. I was able to learn about gender inequality, protection of women, women's history, and I got to learn about how important it is to stand up for what you believe in. Not only have I been able to share with and educate others but I was able to learn new things myself. This beat helped me to be open about my opinions and thoughts. I was able to become a strong and independent thinker by digging deeper into a passionate topic allowing me to really understand how I really feel. These past weeks we have discussed The Violence Against Women's Act and why its important and necessary, we discussed the history of the act, when it was passed and by whom. We also discussed who is for the act, who it protects, and who is against the act. In other blog posts we discussed the importance behind denim day and ending sexual violence. We discussed woman's rights and the history of woman. We also talked about how woman on the Navajo nation and increase of human trafficking and sexual violence. In the podcasts, we recapped our blog posts and the Violence Against Women's Act. We also dug deeper into women's history and influential women of our time. In the most recent podcast I invited Maddie Trautner as a guest to celebrate her as a women going into the medical field as a female. We also celebrated and learned about what she has done for other women. She has a passion for babies her whole life so she shared about her help in nurseries and the Crossroads Pregnancy Center.

Overall I am so thankful that I was able to share all about The Violence Against Women's act and why I feel that gender equality is beyond important. This project helped me to really stand for this and learn and create educated opinions on the topic.