Why VOW?
The institutions intended to protect women and assist them in achieving independence often fail them. Biases and misconceptions that blame and punish survivors for the abuse they have suffered make it difficult for women to leave abusive relationships or find justice.
Because of the systemic failure to understand or act on the complexities of domestic violence, battered women have been:
- charged with neglect and have had their children removed simply for being battered themselves;
- arrested along with their abuser when police misinterpret mandatory arrest policies;
- accused of "alienating" their children from their partners, when they try to protect them in contested custody cases;
- bullied into getting orders of protection or going to shelters by City agency staff in order to get services or to retain custody of their children;
- thrust into poverty and/or homelessness upon leaving an abusive partner due to the lack of affordable housing options and/or enormous court costs;
- denied shelter because of lack of space or policies that exclude women who are disabled, single, lesbians, have older sons or large families or a history of substance abuse.
Until VOW, public policy on domestic violence in New York City was shaped with little input from battered women. Survivors of domestic violence bring an insight and passion to the movement to end violence against women that is necessary and vital to ensure success. We need their leadership in order to create a system that is truly safe, effective and just.