ICYMI: Obama Signs Violence Against Women Act (Video)

Victims of abuse, sex trafficking shared painful experiences that law helps to prevent

On Thursday, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden participated in the renewal ceremony for an updated version of the Violence Against Women Act. The measure is intended to promote (and fund) state and local efforts to combat rape and domestic assault. New protections extend the bill to gays, lesbians and Native Americans. Obama signed the bill as the Justice Department, that day, announced a 58 percent drop in rate of sexual assault against women and girls over the past 15 years. In 2010, there were 270,000 reported rapes, down from 556,000 in 1995, according to the DOJ report. Advocates have credited VAWA, which expired last year, with that decline. (Washington Post)

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