[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 194 (Thursday, October 6, 2016)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 69375-69376]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-24360]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 194 / Thursday, October 6, 2016 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 69375]]


                Proclamation 9510 of September 30, 2016

                
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, 2016

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                The physical and emotional scars of domestic violence 
                can cast a long shadow. Too many individuals, 
                regardless of age, ability, sex, sexual orientation, 
                gender identity, circumstance, or race, face the pain 
                and fear of domestic violence. During National Domestic 
                Violence Awareness Month, we shine a light on this 
                violation of the basic human right to be free from 
                violence and abuse, pledge to ensure every victim of 
                domestic violence knows they are not alone, and foster 
                supportive communities that help survivors seek justice 
                and enjoy full and healthy lives.

                Over the past two decades, rates of domestic violence 
                against females have dropped by nearly three-quarters--
                but there is still much work to do to build on the 
                progress we have made. Nearly 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 
                men have suffered from domestic violence by an intimate 
                partner. All people deserve to feel safe with loved 
                ones, and my Administration is committed to eliminating 
                this scourge and supporting survivors' healing--and we 
                must ensure that survivors and their families have 
                access to the resources, care, and support they need to 
                do so.

                My Administration is dedicated to ensuring that all 
                people feel safe in all aspects of their lives, which 
                is why I proposed significant funding for responding to 
                domestic violence in my most recent budget proposal. We 
                have also championed legislative action like the Family 
                Violence Prevention and Services Act, and the 
                Affordable Care Act--which ensures that most health 
                plans cover domestic violence screening and counseling 
                services at no additional cost. And the Violence 
                Against Women Act, which was reauthorized in 2013, has 
                enhanced and expanded protections to Native Americans, 
                immigrants, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender 
                individuals, and victims who reside in public housing.

                This is progress we must continue to invest in and 
                carry forward. Earlier this year, I announced a series 
                of commonsense steps my Administration is taking to 
                reduce gun violence, including work to renew our 
                domestic violence outreach efforts. Building on the 
                work of our Police Data Initiative, the White House is 
                promoting smart approaches to collecting data on 
                domestic violence offenses that balance transparency 
                and accountability with victim safety and privacy. And 
                victim safety should also be a priority in the 
                workplace--a truth that extends to the Federal 
                Government. That is why I directed all Federal agencies 
                to adopt domestic violence workplace policies and 
                encouraged employers to do the same.

                Our agencies have taken many critical actions to 
                advance this cause. For example, the Department of 
                Justice has invested millions of dollars in new 
                initiatives to prevent domestic violence homicides, 
                urge law enforcement agencies to identify and prevent 
                gender bias when responding to domestic violence and 
                sexual assault, and expand services to underserved 
                victims. And the Department of Housing and Urban 
                Development recently issued guidance to prevent housing 
                discrimination against survivors of domestic violence.

[[Page 69376]]

                Vice President Joe Biden's leadership has helped guide 
                our progress and worked to change our national 
                culture--which too often tolerates and condones 
                domestic violence. We are challenging harmful 
                stereotypes associated with victims of domestic 
                violence and striving to bring the practice of victim-
                blaming to an end. We must continue to recognize 
                survivors who experience disproportionate rates of 
                domestic violence, and who have been placed at the 
                margins for generations, including women of color, 
                Native Americans, individuals with disabilities, 
                members of the LGBT community, immigrants, and older 
                adults. Along these lines, we also joined with Canada 
                and Mexico to create the North American Working Group 
                on Violence against Indigenous Women and Girls, working 
                together to enhance responses to violent crimes against 
                indigenous women and girls in North America.

                Our Nation's character is tested whenever this 
                injustice is tolerated. When anyone is targeted by 
                someone they place their trust in, we have a 
                responsibility to speak up. We all have a role to play 
                in building a bright and safe future for each other and 
                for future generations. This month, we recommit to 
                standing with survivors of domestic violence and to 
                doing our utmost to extend hope and healing to all who 
                need it. If you or someone you know needs assistance, I 
                encourage you to reach out to the National Domestic 
                Violence Hotline, which recently engaged in its 4 
                millionth conversation with victims and survivors of 
                domestic violence, by calling 1-800-799-SAFE, or 
                visiting www.TheHotline.org.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim October 2016 as 
                National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I call on 
                all Americans to speak out against domestic violence 
                and support local efforts to assist victims of these 
                crimes in finding the help and healing they need.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and forty-first.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2016-24360
Filed 10-5-16; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F7-P