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President Obama signed the Violence Against Women Act today and we couldn’t be more excited, as it’s been a long time coming! The House recently approved it and all we needed was the president’s signature and now we have it. President Obama proclaimed today, “a day of advocates” and “a day of the survivors.”

Must Read: #OurMoments: Gabrielle Union On The Impact Of The Violence Against Women Act

President Obama’s speech, as usual, inspired and spoke plainly about the topic at hand:

“It changed our culture. It empowered people to start speaking out. It made it okay for us, as a society, to talk about domestic abuse. It made it possible for us, as a country, to address the problem in a real and meaningful way. And it made clear to victims that they were not alone—that they always had a place to go and they always had people on their side.”

This act being signed goes to show just how serious the government takes our collective voices. It may have taken more than 10 years, but now women have the support we need when dealing with domestic violence. According to NY Daily News, VAWA authorizes:

“…some $659 million a year over five years to fund current programs that provide grants for transitional housing, legal assistance, law enforcement training and hotlines. It reauthorizes the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, adds stalking to the list of crimes that make immigrants eligible for protection, and authorizes programs dealing with sexual assault on college campuses and rape investigations.”

“One of the great legacies of this law is it didn’t just change the rules, it changed our culture. It empowered people to start speaking out,” President Obama said. Do you agree?

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More On Violence Against Women:

House Approves Violence Against Women Act

Comment Of The Day: ‘Law & Order: SVU Did Not Cross The Line With This Domestic Violence Episode’

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