U.S. Global Duty: To Deter Violence Against Women

When Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama first introduced his running mate this past August, he described Sen. Joe Biden as the man who championed the 1994 Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) so that "every woman can a have place for support." Obama noted that VAWA yielded "dramatic reductions in the rate of domestic violence" and gave countless "women a second chance." While Sen. Obama disappointed many by not choosing a woman for the coveted vice presidential spot, he chose a senator with long-time support for women's human right, both at home and as part of U.S. foreign policy responsibilities. As chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Biden (D-Delaware) has, albeit unsuccessfully, called on his colleagues to ratify the Convention of Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). More recently in late 2007, Biden co-drafted and introduced, along with Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Indiana), the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA). Sen. Obama joined the 21 bi-partisan co-sponsors of the bill in June.