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A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
20-60
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
June 4, 2013
To declare that freedom from domestic violence is a fundamental human right and that state and local governments have a responsibility to respect and ensure this right on behalf of their citizens.
WHEREAS, survivors of domestic violence experience the effects of physical injuries,
long-term psychological damage, financial instability, and trouble finding safe housing;
WHEREAS, while domestic violence is often marginalized as a private concern, its impact is felt across the entire community as a whole;
WHEREAS, more than one in 3 women and more than one in 4 men in the United
States will experience rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner at some point in their lives, and this problem disproportionately impacts women of color, women with disabilities, women with low incomes, and immigrant women, as well as their children;
WHEREAS, according to the Rainbow Response Coalition, in 2012, approximately one in 3 residents of the District of Columbia who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender have been in an abusive relationship;
WHEREAS, 13 individuals died as a result of domestic violence in the District of
Columbia in 2011, according to the Metropolitan Police Department;
WHEREAS, the District of Columbia Office of Attorney General reports that in 2012 a total of 5,478 individuals received assistance at the District’s 2 Domestic Violence
Intake Centers, an average of 22 individuals per day;
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Police Department reports that in 2012 the department received 31,815 domestic-related crime calls—approximately 87 calls each day;
WHEREAS, the District of Columbia Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that
in 2011 there was a 15% increase in foreign-born individuals and a 26% increase in the
number of individuals between the ages of 13 through 17 years who received assistance at the
District’s 2 Domestic Violence Intake Centers;
WHEREAS, local entities such as police departments, providers of medical services, courts, cities, and social service agencies constitute a crucial line of defense against domestic violence and incur significant monetary costs due to domestic violence;
WHEREAS, world leaders and leaders within the United States recognize that domestic violence is a human rights concern;
WHEREAS, the 1993 United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against
Women recognizes the urgent need for the universal application to women of the rights and principles with regard to equality, security, liberty, integrity, and dignity of all human beings that are enshrined in international human rights treaties, and urges States to pursue by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of eliminating violence against women;
WHEREAS, in view of the alarming growth in the number of cases of violence against women throughout the world, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights adopted resolution 1994/45 on March, 4, 1994, appointing a Special Rapporteur on violence against women, including its causes and consequences;
WHEREAS, the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women has urged the United
States government to reassess its response to domestic violence, stating that “violence against women is the most pervasive human rights violation which continues to challenge every country in the world, and the U.S. is no exception”;
WHEREAS, in 2011, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights found in Jessica
Lenahan (Gonzales) v. United States that the United States’ failure to protect women from gender-based violence constitutes discrimination and a human rights violation, and urged the United States to enact law and policy reforms to protect victims of domestic violence and their children; and
WHEREAS, by recognizing that domestic violence is a human rights issue, the District of
Columbia will raise awareness and enhance domestic violence education in communities,
the public and private sectors, and within government agencies.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the “Freedom From Domestic Violence Recognition Resolution of 2013”.
Sec. 2. The District of Columbia joins other cities in the United States and
governments around the world by declaring that freedom from domestic violence is a
fundamental human right.
Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in the District of Columbia Register.
