Letter to President Obama in support of IVAWA

I am a public health social worker. My passion is to identify systems change that will prevent the deaths of women as a result of violence. These are not just the deaths where \"He\" clearly pulled the trigger and she is dead. These are the deaths due to addiction to drugs and/or alcohol; suicides, HIV/AIDS, lack of access to health care, because her partner controlled her life and would not let her get treatment, and most importantly from mental illness as she struggled to deal with her reality.

There are many ways that women die from chronic or life-long violence exposure, including multi-generational cultures of violence, even though her partner did not actually \"pull the trigger today\". She has still died before she would have in other circumstances.

Our community has slowly become more aware and vocal about the need to stop the violence. BUT, the real need is for more men to step forward and demand equality for women and girls, and for the religious community to step up and declare women and girls as equals.

Until this major cultural shift happens - we need resources to make change on many levels - for example family law in many countries is the legal basis for discrimination. We need resources to do more than care for the victims. We need systematic change, cultural values change that will make this behavior unacceptable.

So, President Obama, we need you to step up - \"MAN UP\" - to this reality - and make IVAWA an urgent priority.

Thank you.

Please join the PulseWire community in speaking out against violence and urging the U.S. government to pass the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA). Write your letter in your PulseWire journal to share your personal and observed experience in gender-based violence, both in your life and within your community. Tag your journal \"IVAWA\", and World Pulse will send your letter directly to President Obama, along with letters from women around the world. Learn more: http://www.worldpulse.com/pulsewire/programs/international-violence-agai...