Dear Future President,

As a young woman, living in America there is a chance that I could be abused by a future partner of mine or by a stranger. If that ever happens I want to be sure that I will be safe from the person that had or may abuse me. At this moment, laws are not enforced enough for me to feel that safe. These are fears that I am sure most women, girls, and young woman, like myself, have. An estimated 4,000 women die each year from domestic abuse. That number is way too high, and needs to be brought down tremendously. The war happening in Iraq and Afghanistan since has been going on since 2001. During the years 2001-2012, 6,488 troops were killed in the war. During that same time 11,766 women died from domestic abuse. Is that how you would like our country to be represented?

Since 1994, there has only been one major law put into motion concerning domestic abuse. One of them, put into action in 1994, is the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). This act said that victims would be safer in many different ways, and that offenders would be held accountable for what they had done. In theory this act sounds good, but it is difficult to find every offender and charge them. Women, and everyone else, needs to get in contact with someone when they see, or hear something about abuse. Women who are being abused need to get help, but some of them are scared to. If women saw more victims reaching out, and being helped in the way they need, then they would speak up too.

The most common time for women to be abused is after the relationship is over, or as they are trying to leave the relationship. 75% of women abused are abused at this time. Because of this many women are scared to leave the relationship. They stay for other reasons too. They stay because they are scared for their children, guilt, lack of self-esteem, or even love. If we educated younger women that abuse is not good, and taught them the signs of abuse, they’d be more likely to report it, and get help.

We need more abuse awareness, and stricter laws against offenders. Most women are scared, so if the country proves that it will do everything it can to provide safety for victims. More women will speak up and report abuse.

Julia T.