Freedom from Violence

If you are in immediate crisis please contact Minnesota DayOne.

Crisis Line: Call 1.866.223.1111 Text 612.399.9995

MN Crime Victim Support Line: call 1.866.385.2699 text 612.399.9977

Recognize and End Domestic Violence Brochure Download

Violence against women affects every Minnesotan, whether they realize it or not. As human beings, we all deserve freedom from violence. Statistically, women in particular are especially vulnerable to instances of domestic abuse, sexual assault, sex trafficking, street harassment, and stalking.

The pervasiveness of violence against women in Minnesota is unacceptable, and something needs to be done to end it. Minnesota NOW is actively working to combat violence against women through activism and education.

According to the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women’s 2017 Femicide Report, at least 24 Minnesotans were killed due to violence from a current or former intimate partner in 2017. This included 19 women and five friends and family members.

Simply put, being a woman comes with its own set of dangerous realities. Nearly 1 in 4 women are beaten or raped by a partner during adulthood. 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men have experienced an attempted or completed rape. Every day in the United States, an average of three women are killed by a current or former intimate partner. [Source: MCBW]

The ever-present threat of violence begins at a young age for girls. According to MNCASA, “by the time Minnesota girls graduate from high school, about 12% report a date-related sexual assault. By the time they finish college, 29% of Minnesota females have been sexually assaulted. And by mid-life, 33% of Minnesota women have experienced a rape crime – approximately one in three.”

It isn’t just at home or out on the street that women are in danger. It’s also in K-12 schools. In 2014, MN NOW worked  to pass the Safe and Supportive Minnesota Schools for All Act. This bill helped schools define bullying and harassment, and eliminate tolerance for bullying and violence based on “actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, disability, sex, age, national origin, immigration status, marital status, family status, socioeconomic status, status with regard to public assistance, academic status, physical appearance, sexual orientation,  and gender identity or expression.

Not only is violence against women harmful to Minnesotans emotionally, physically, and psychologically, it harms us financially as well. Sexual violence costs the State of Minnesota almost $8 billion annually. With limited funds, we can’t expect our state government to solve the problem of violence against women alone, which is why activism and education by non-profit organizations is essential to solving this problem once and for all.

Let’s organize to make a safer world for generations to come. If you want to create a better Minnesota, a state where we can all live with freedom from violence, Get Involved with Minnesota NOW.

Resources

https://www.womenshelters.org/sta/minnesota This website lists women’s shelters in different cities in Minnesota.

http://dayoneservices.org/day-one-programs/ This website lists network partners for Minnesota DayOne by region.

https://www.tubman.org/  “Tubman provides comprehensive services to serve families and individuals across the Twin Cities. We can help with crisis situations through our 24-hour resource line (612.825.0000) and shelter services. We will also support clients through their long-term healing processes and help them overcome barriers through our core service areas: shelter and housing, mental and chemical health, legal services, youth programs, and workshops and support groups.”

https://www.ywcastpaul.org/housing/ The YWCA St. Paul offers housing and supportive services.

https://www.perspectives-family.org/ Perspectives “breaks cycles for at-risk families and children for total family recovery.” Based in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

https://www.mncasa.org/  “The Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA) provides leadership and resources for sexual assault programs and allies to prevent sexual violence while promoting a comprehensive, socially just response for all victims/survivors.”

https://pavsa.org/about-pavsa/ “Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault (PAVSA) is a non-profit sexual violence crisis center in southern Saint Louis County that provides free and confidential services to victim-survivors, their family, and friends ages 13 and up.”

https://www.sahnishscouts.org/ Sahnish Scouts “respond[s] to the disappearances of people in the Bakken oilfields in North Dakota.” The group works in  indigenous communities, informs people about disappearances, and organizes searches.

https://familywiseservices.org/  “FamilyWise prevents child abuse by strengthening families through comprehensive family support services including: parenting education, supervised visitation, in-home parenting, youth services, child development, parenting assessments, mentoring, co-parenting services, and family group conferencing. FamilyWise also provides families access to quality, early childhood education through its First Step Early Childhood Education Center.”