Photo courtesy of Sojourner Family Peace Center
An average of three women every day are murdered due to domestic violence which equates to about one-third of all women in the U.S. being killed at the hands of an intimate partner, according to the National Organization of Women.
This is why nonprofits such as the Sojourner Family Peace Center in Milwaukee are essential to cities across the country and around the world. On May 20, Sojourner announced the launching of their new #UntilSheCan campaign that garners support for survivors and sparks conversation about family violence.
Last fall, Milwaukee experienced an alarming increase in the number of domestic violence-related homicides. According to Sojourner President and CEO, Carmen Pitre, 2019 was the most fatal year Milwaukee County has seen with 31 domestic violence-related homicides. Pitre also noted that this was the highest she has seen in her career.
This deadly trend continued into 2020 when Sojourner saw a 28% increase in domestic violence reports. A big factor in this increase was fueled by the uncertainty, stress, and isolation COVID-19 brought.
“Home is not always a safe place. We wanted to let survivors know that help is still available. So we set out to create a campaign that not only raises awareness of Sojourner’s services, but also shines a light on the human rights violation that is family violence,” Pitre says.
With isolation being one of the most common tactics enforced by an abuser, the global pandemic has left victims of domestic violence in dangerous situations. A United Nations Population Fund predicts that 15 million additional cases of intimate partner violence throughout the world will occur as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns.
Abusive Partners
While staying at home is meant to keep people safe from COVID-19, it can be a death sentence for those living with an abusive partner.
In order to shed light on domestic violence, especially during this global pandemic, Sojourner’s #UntilSheCan campaign includes a video series that highlights stories of domestic violence survivors that are read by survivors themselves or influential figures within the local Milwaukee community on their behalf.
“Sojourner has never stopped helping survivors amid this pandemic. We’ve altered our procedures to safeguard against COVID-19, but we’ve remained open, providing safety planning, emergency shelter, help filing restraining orders, and offering support and advocacy services,” Pitre says.
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One person that has been impacted by Sojourner is Natalie Hayden. She says that this campaign gives her hope in her existence as a survivor. As part of this campaign, people are encouraged to write #UntilSheCan on their own faces to support survivors and post it to social media, as many cannot yet share their identity.
“Until She Can was me, is the neighbor and coworker that has to suffer in silence because of the presence of fear inflicted upon her. Until She Can will not only speak the language that may be foreign to others that fail to identify with domestic violence,” Hayden says.
A few ways people can get involved with Sojourner and #UntilSheCan is to donate in order for Sojourner to aid survivors in need of help, share #UntilSheCan videos on social media, and participate in their social media challenge.
