Domestic Violence Awareness Month: 5 Ways to Take Action

Reese Witherspoon, honorary chairperson of the Avon Foundation for Women, models the organization's Empowerment ring.

While reading the novel Backseat Saints (Grand Central Publishing, 2010) by Joshilyn Jackson, we got caught up in protagonist Rose Mae Lolley’s struggle to escape her violent husband. But it wasn’t until we came across the website of real-life domestic abuse survivor Nancy Salamone, author of Victory Over Violence: Nancy’s Story and the Business of Me (AuthorHouse, 2010), that we truly realized how unsafe many women are in their own homes.

The site asks, “Are you safe? If not exit this site now,” with a reminder to clear your browsing history. This is a chilling reality for many, as one in four women will experience domestic violence during her lifetime, and one-third of female homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV). Worldwide, an estimated 1.3 million women are victims of domestic violence, something that people are being made aware of during Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October. Below are a few things you can do to raise awareness about domestic violence.

• Donate an old cell phone to NCADV. Simply print this mailing label and follow the directions for placing your deactivated phone in the mail. The phone is then reused or recycled, with proceeds going to NCADV’s mission to end violence in the home.


• The Avon Foundation for Women supports awareness about domestic and gender violence, with Speak Out and Empowerment fundraising products, including an Empowerment T-shirt ($15) and an Empowerment pendant ($5) and ring ($5). The Avon Foundation also offers a downloadable Domestic Violence Resource Guide, which includes warning signs and statistics.


• Support the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) Say NO — UNiTE to End Violence Against Women campaign by creating an online profile, then letting people know what you’re doing to stop violence against women. Action ideas for individuals include signing a petition asking the U.N. Security Council to support the implementation of resolution 1325, which calls for the prosecution of those who commit sexual violence, an increase in the number of women involved in international peacekeeping efforts and ensured participation from women in peace negotiations and post-conflict decision-making institutions.


• Download a Facebook badge or a Twitter background from the Pixel Project’s Paint It Purple campaign. Each virtual badge, button or banner downloaded and placed in a social media account counts toward UNIFEM’s goal to reach 1 million actions to end gender-based violence by November 2010.


• Use GoodSearch to support Break the Cycle, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that addresses teen dating violence, aiming to educate and empower youth to live free from partner violence. Simply use the search engine, which is powered by Yahoo! to surf the internet, and 50 percent of the revenue generated from the sponsored search advertisers will go to the nonprofit.

How do you plan to speak out against domestic violence?