| Winter 1999-2000 Affordable Housing: An important Minnesota NOW issue "Millionaire" wedding makes a mockery of marriage Response to unicameral legislature proposal Response to covenant marriage proposal Call to conference: Is Minnesota nice? Analyzing victim services consolidation St. Cloud Rally — Joint statement of the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault and the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women State PAC endorses five candidates Friends and colleagues honor Susal Stebbins
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St. Cloud Rally — Joint statement of the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault and the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women
For a quarter-century, Minnesota has been internationally recognized as a leader in ending violence against women. Minnesota established the first shelter for battered women, the first civil protection order law, the first educational groups for batterers, the first criminal justice intervention projects, the first children’s visitation centers and the first sexual assault protocols in the nation. Minnesota has also led the way in addressing the unique needs of women of color, the Native American community, the gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgender community, older women, women used in systems of prostitution and children who live with violence in their homes. These gains came about because women of all races, creeds, and sexual orientation who were affected by these most intimate of crimes dared to speak the truth about the use of violence against us and how it is used to get and maintain power, control and dominance. They came about as the result of women organizing to change ineffective and unfair laws and challenging how the system implemented those laws. They came about because women demanded a place at the table in state government. Due to our efforts, the Minnesota legislature responded with some of the best laws in the country and with statutory mandates creating battered women’s and sexual assault advisory groups. These advisory groups were involved with all aspects of developing effective responses to battered women and sexual assault victims, including statewide planning, program development, rulemaking, funding and evaluation. Minnesota can count as our greatest triumph, the fact that due to the work of the state battered women and sexual assault movement, working in conjunction with the advisory councils, thousands of Minnesota women have escaped abusive relationships, and received the help and advocacy they need after a domestic or sexual assault. Minnesota women have successfully changed the culture in which violence against us occurs so that women who are victims of domestic and sexual violence no longer are routinely blamed or ignored. These are a few of our successes that we can be proud that we can celebrate today. These Minnesota innovations have not come without challenges, and we continue to face many formidable tests. A recent change in state government, for example, dismantled the hard won battered women’s and sexual assault programs in state government and almost eliminated our citizen advisory councils. However, Minnesota women raised their voices in protest. There is some evidence that the Governor was listening, because our advisory councils were restored but with a greatly reduced role. This is not enough. We are grateful that Governor Ventura is listening but we ask him to hear us now as we say that we must go further. The challenge for the people of our state in the new century is to be on the cutting edge again. Women in Minnesota are calling for a renewed effort to end the violence that affects our lives and we are insisting that rape, battering, incest, sexual harassment, prostitution and other acts of violence against women be taken seriously at all levels of state and local government. We envision a state where all women and children can be safe from harm on the streets of their neighborhoods, in their communities and workplaces, and in their homes. Violence against women must have higher visibility and greater accountability within state government. Minnesota must become a place where women who are victims of violence and their advocates are empowered to lead us into a nonviolent future. We believe that Minnesota can do this by taking a bold step forward by establishing the first state Office for the Prevention of Violence Against Women in the nation. We are calling on our governor, our legislators, and all others who care about Minnesota women to support our endeavor. Let’s give this issue the attention, visibility and high priority that it deserves. |