[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 21671]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am here to support House Resolution 
738, honoring the 15th anniversary of the enactment of the Violence 
Against Women Act.
  Violence against women is one of the world's most widespread human 
rights violations. It is a pandemic that can be stopped, but it 
requires dedicated political will and resources. As long as women 
across the globe continue to struggle to break through the shame and 
silence that surrounds the violence, we must continue to put it on 
every national and global agenda.
  Violence against women fractures communities, devastates lives, and 
robs the gifts and potential of millions of women and girls. It is an 
issue that demands our utmost attention and our undivided priority.
  Together we must continue our efforts to end this scourge on society 
and turn violence against women into an extinct crime rather than a 
global pandemic. Only then will women be able to live free of violence, 
which is a fundamental human right.

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