Violence Against Women
Expanding the Federal Response to Domestic Abuse
American society has come a long way since 1871, when Alabama became the first State to rescind the right of men to beat their wives. It would take more than a century, however, before the first comprehensive Federal law was enacted to address domestic violence. Congress originally passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), authored by then-Senator Joe Biden (DE-D), as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. Enacted with broad bipartisan support, the legislation responded to the prevalence of domestic and sexual violence and the significant impact of such violence on women’s lives. It…
