More than 100 Leagues Mobilize

Issue Area(s): child welfare, health and nutrition, intimate partner violence/ abuse

Metric of Success (if quantifiable/available):  Awareness generated by the initiative contributed to the addition of the Violence Against Women Act provisions to the 1994 Crime Bill passed by the U.S. Congress.

Overview

The Silent Witnesses were life-sized silhouettes of 27 Minnesota women who died in 1990 as a result of domestic violence. The Silent Witness National Initiative, under the direction of the Junior League of St. Paul’s advocacy chair Jane Zeller, drew the participation of more than 100 Leagues who organized marches, disseminated information, made presentations, and enlisted corporate leaders to become involved. The campaign was adopted in all four Junior League countries, and events included marches, exhibits, and demonstrations on Capitol Hill and at numerous state capitols and city halls across the country.

Community Partners

• Local shelters and health and human services agencies
• Local, state, and federal legislators and justice departments

What’s the impact?

Awareness among legislators that was generated by the initiative contributed to the addition of the Violence Against Women Act provisions to the 1994 Crime Bill passed by the U.S. Congress.

Collectively, Leagues provided direct support to victims of domestic violence including:

• safe houses and shelters
• crisis hotlines
• counseling services to women and children

Collectively, Leagues sustained advocacy for progressive legislation on the state, national, and international levels and built effective coalition-building across class, institutional, and ethnic lines.