The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence

Thank you to President and Dr. Biden for hosting our executive director and Chicago community partners to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act. We are a proud steward of #VAWA funding! #EndGBV Thank you to our partners who joined us! Mujeres Latinas en Acción, Apna Ghar, Inc. (Our Home), Metropolitan Family Services, Arab American Family Services

The Network would like to thank House Representative Kelly Cassidy and Illinois Senator Robert Peters for their work sponsoring the gender-based violence resentencing bill which was signed into law in August. According to the National Online Resource Center on Violence Against Women, women who have experienced abuse are much more likely to be incarcerated, and racial biases in the justice system and economic disadvantages mean that women and girls of color are disproportionately affected. This law will allow women who received harsh sentences without a court hearing about their abuse to tell their stories in court with the potential for a resentencing. Thanks to the hard work of advocates, Rep. Cassidy, and Sen. Peters, survivors of gender-based violence who have been unjustly heavily incarcerated could have a glimmer of hope. Thank you, Rep. Cassidy and Sen. Peters, for helping strengthen the safety net for survivors! Read the full article about this bill here: https://bit.ly/3TjNYTD

Last week, The Network and WINGS Program hosted Mayor Brandon Johnson for a roundtable with survivors of gender-based violence. The Mayor listened to survivors as they shared their experiences and insight on how Chicago can expand the safety net. We also want to thank 14th Ward Alderwoman Jeylu Gutierrez for her attendance and engagement. Survivors shared the need for increased housing, counseling services, and prevention education. We are thankful to Mayor Johnson and Alderwoman Gutiérrez for their empathy and attention and to WINGS Program, Inc. for their partnership!

Understanding decarceration and #DomesticViolence is essential as the global movement to eliminate mass incarceration continues. The "tough-on-crime" policies that resulted in an increase in the number of women in prison have resonated throughout entire communities, with children of incarcerated mothers now entering the system. The astounding number of criminalized survivors incarcerated across the country demonstrates the catastrophic repercussions of relying on oppressive, racist, classist, and sexist systems. In this training we will focus on enhancing knowledge and skills in decarceration as well as practicing some self-care as we support criminalized survivors. Join us and the Women’s Justice Institute for “Understanding Decarceration and Gender based Violence”, a free virtual training for #GBV advocates, activists and community organizers on September 24th, 25th & 26th from 9:30am to 12:30pm. Seven CEUs will be given for Social Work and ICDVP. #SupportingSurvivors #DVAwareness #EndDV 

We are pleased to present our Leadership Awards to members of the community who have made a significant impact in the lives of survivors of #GenderBasedViolence. Our second award recipient is Commissioner Brandie Knazze, CPPO! Brandie Knazze is a native Chicagoan and has served as Commissioner of the Chicago Dept. of Family & Support Services (DFSS) since June 2021 and has worked for the department for a decade. As the leader of Chicago’s human and social services agency, Ms. Knazze is proud to say that her department serves as the heart of the city. DFSS supports over 450,000 vulnerable residents across eight programmatic divisions including early learning, youth services, homelessness, gender-based violence, workforce development, new arrivals, human services and senior services. Ms. Knazze’s team supports over 350 nonprofit organizations and operates 6 community service centers, 21 senior centers, and a senior information and assistance program. Join us for our Leading Together Partnership Breakfast on October 17th, 2024 to celebrate Commissioner Brandie V. Knazze and our community’s commitment to ending #DomesticViolence. Get your tickets now: bit.ly/3LSZKjz #DVAM #DVAwareness #EndDV

Did you know that technology-facilitated abuse is an umbrella term for any form of controlling behavior that involves the use of technology as a means to coerce, stalk or harass another person in a #DomesticViolence relationship? Join us on Thursday, September 26th to learn more in a Tech-Facilitated Abuse Training. Learn about how survivors experience #GenderBasedViolence and how to address TFA in a world where technology is part of everyday life. This virtual training is free and open to the public! CEUs will be given for Social Work and ICDVP

We are pleased to present our Leadership Awards to members of the community who have made a significant impact in the lives of survivors of #GenderBasedViolence. Our first award recipient is Nikki Patin, MFA! Featured in The Guardian, Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Reader, on WBEZ, WTTW, FoxSoul, and on international television and radio, multidisciplinary artist Nikki Patin has been writing since she was 7. In 2014, Patin addressed the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland on behalf of Black women and girl survivors of sexual violence. Nikki holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction from the University of Southern Maine. She is the Founder and Executive Producer of Surviving the Mic and the Program Director for the Resident Association of Greater Englewood. Her debut memoir, Working on Me, was recently released on Vine Leaves Press and is now available for purchase at nikkipatin.com Join us for our Leading Together Partnership Breakfast on October 17th, 2024 to celebrate Nikki and our community’s commitment to ending #DomesticViolence.  Get your tickets now: bit.ly/3LSZKjz #SupportingSurvivors #DVAM #DVAwareness

“It’s functionally an honor system,” said Shelby Hoffman-Binder of The Network...“Prohibition without enforcement is not enough to keep survivors safe.” Our system failed Amy Moore, a victim of #DomesticViolence, after filing for an order of protection, and facing years of escalating abuse from her ex-husband. We stand with the family, community, and children affected by this abuse. The reality of #DomesticGunViolence has once again taken multiple lives and affected many more. We know the likelihood of intimate-partner homicides increase 500% if an abuser has access to a weapon. Our most recent #MeasuringSafety2023 report, analyzes the data and effects of domestic gun violence in Illinois. This is why we continue to push for a legislative solution, #KarinasBill, to “... require police agencies to go to the houses of gun owners and confiscate their weapons when orders of protection are put in place.” We encourage you to sign up for our policy alerts and get involved in advocating for Karina’s Bill (bit.ly/4dJfB0g) and learn more about domestic gun violence by reading our data report (bit.ly/3JHbhBx). Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/46YuZDW #EndGunViolence #Advocacy #SupportingSurvivors 💜

Join us next week for a panel discussion with experts on recent Supreme Court decisions and their implications for survivors of #genderbasedviolence in Illinois! This free virtual panel discussion will cover the implications for survivors after recent Supreme Court Decisions covering firearm access, homelessness, privacy, reproductive justice and changes to how legislation gets interpreted and implemented. Cases to be covered include: - US v Rahimi - City of Grants Pass v Johnson - Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo - Counterman v. Colorado - Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine - Idaho and Moyle, et al. v. United States The Network is offering 1 CEU for ICDVP, LCSW, and LSW holders.

Our deadline for abstract submissions has been EXTENDED! Our 4th Reclaiming Our Love: Social Justice & Domestic Violence Conference will take place in person at the Gleacher Center at Chicago Booth on March 19-20, 2025. Are you interested in presenting at the conference? Submit an abstract for a presentation, a workshop, or a panel discussion! We welcome service providers, advocates, and survivors to apply. Our new deadline is September 10th, 2024. All conference presenters will receive a small honorarium and a free ticket to attend the conference. Visit our website to submit an abstract: https://lnkd.in/gATfxSa6 #ReclaimingOurLove #DomesticViolence #GBV #Conference #Chicago