Statement by Vice President Kamala Harris on the 30th Anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act

Thirty years ago, the Violence Against Women Act was signed into law, the first comprehensive federal law dedicated to preventing and addressing violence against women and providing justice and support for survivors. This landmark legislation, written and championed by President Biden while he was serving in the Senate, transformed how the government fulfills its duty to protect our nation’s women and girls. We would not be where we are today without his work and the tireless efforts of advocates, allies, and the brave survivors who have shared their stories and determination to ensure that others do not go through what they did or go through alone.

As someone who has spent my career fighting for the health, safety, and well-being of women and girls, I have seen the impact of the Violence Against Women Act firsthand. As a prosecutor, I specialized in crimes against women and children. As San Francisco District Attorney, I made it a priority to prosecute more sexual assault and domestic violence cases and achieve higher conviction rates. My office also provided survivors with access to mental health services and job training to help them get back on their feet and take control of their lives.

As California’s Attorney General, I led efforts to provide resources and support to victims of crime while overseeing the second-largest Department of Justice in our country. I also addressed a long backlog of untested rape kits—a backlog that posed a barrier to justice for survivors and prevented perpetrators from continuing to victimize their communities. Additionally, I prosecuted the nation’s first case against the operator of a cyber exploitation website. Then, as a United States Senator, I led legislation to make these acts a federal crime and also sponsored a broad range of legislation expanding protections for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, dating violence, and human trafficking.

President Biden and I have prioritized this urgent work in the White House. We fought to successfully reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, strengthening the law to expand protections for LGBTQI+ survivors, survivors living on tribal lands and in Alaska Native villages, and women and girls across our country. I also joined the President to create a federal task force to address online harassment and image-based abuse. And as the person overseeing the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, I’m proud to say that we have finally addressed the boyfriend gap to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers.

As we reflect on the life-changing progress we have made over the past 30 years, we recommit to the critical work ahead. Together with survivors, advocates, and allies, President Biden and I will continue to do everything in our power to ensure that every woman across America has the freedom to live safely, free from violence and hate.

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