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Abstract: 

October 2024 marked the 30th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and it’s something to celebrate. The Department of Justice announced that it is allocating $690 million in grants to support services for survivors of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault and stalking across the U.S. and many tribal nations. This article reviews the history of VAWA, including the efforts of Debby Tucker to persuade the House Judiciary Committee to take up the bill after months of foot-dragging; reaction to the law, including criticism of a provision that allowed victims of gender-based violence to sue the person who harmed them; and the important role that the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman played in bringing the issue of IPV to national attention. It concludes with an assessment of the law’s impact and future. 17 22

Keywords: Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)

Affiliations:  1: DomesticShelters.org.