From eggs stamped with little pink ribbons to pink yogurt tops to special pink KitchenAid mixers for Cook For The Cure, everyone knows it’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But did you know that October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month?
Since October 1987, October has been the month to bring awareness to all those struggling with domestic violence. According to statistics, 1 in 8 women have a chance of getting breast cancer in their lifetime, while 1 in 4 women (and 1 in 13 men) will experience domestic violence in their life. Even scarier, according to statistics from the Domestic Violence Awareness Project, an average of three women in America die as a result of domestic violence every day. And these are just the cases that have been reported.
Of course, this isn’t an either/or sort of thing, but maybe we can get ourselves a purple ribbon, to stand in solidarity with anyone suffering from domestic violence. Put it right beside that pink one.
If you’d like to show your support there’s a few things you can do:
- Join the Allstate Foundation’s “Tell a Gal Pal” Campaign on Facebook. The Allstate Foundation will donate $1 to the National Network to End Domestic Violence for every person who likes this page.
- Donate to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, a grassroots non-profit looking to end violence in the lives of women, men and children.
- Take action by contacting your Representatives in Congress and ask them to support the Family Violence Prevention & Services Act (FVPSA), which funds services like emergency shelters, hotlines and counseling.
- Sign the Love Is Not Abuse Coalition Petition, sponsored by Liz Clairborne, which supports teaching teen dating violence and abuse education in schools.
- Search for upcoming events in your area or host your own event and add it to the Domestic Violence Awareness Project site.
Photo by Dawn Powell, Heidelberg ACS
