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• Compared to an estimated 35% of heterosexual women, 61% of bisexual women will be victims Domestic of intimate partner in their lifetime. For Violence lesbian women, the estimate is 44%. Additionally, a marginalized identity presents further barriers to those looking for safety. For victims who and identify as LGBTQ+, obstacles in leaving an abusive relationship are often heightened due to external phobias and potential outing. For victims who identify Oppression as women of color, obstacles can include existing cultural and institutional barriers. BY ALLISON SUMMERS AJAZI, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AND LEADERSHIP To serve those affected by this INITIATIVES October, check in with your local shelters and service providers for how you can best support their efforts. We lpha Chi Omega and its members work encourage you to read more about the barriers faced by together to raise domestic violence awareness survivors on their journey to safety by checking out the A and provide support and education to help resources below. If you or someone you know is in an those in their communities build healthy relationships unhealthy relationship, these are just a few culturally and fight against unhealthy ones. Each October during competent national hotlines that support survivors: Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we focus our educational efforts on one critical issue. This October, • The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800- we ask our members to reflect on and support 799-7233 (SAFE) or www.ndvh.org populations disproportionally oppressed through • Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence domestic violence. As women dedicated to ending Resource Project: 202-833-2233 or dvrp.org domestic violence, we must fight the oppression of • The National Center on Violence Against survivors and to understand their experiences. Women in the Black Community: 844-77-UJIMA or ujimacommunity.org Everyone holds a variety of identities including race, • StrongHearts Native Helpline: 844-762-8483 or class, gender, sexuality, religious beliefs, age, cultural strongheartshelpline.org background and more. While anyone can become REFERENCES: a victim of intimate partner violence, it is a crime “FACT SHEET: BARRIERS TO SAFETY FOR WOMEN OF largely connected to the oppression of marginalized COLOR” FROM THE YWCA’S WEEK WITHOUT VIOLENCE identities and through power and control. Intimate CAMPAIGN partner violence, which covers domestic violence, “INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE” FACT SHEET FROM THE sexual violence, and psychological harm, is an OFFICE FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME AND ITS 2018 NATIONAL overwhelmingly gendered crime, with women making CRIME VICTIMS’ RIGHTS WEEK RESOURCE GUIDE up 86% of victims. Certain identity groups of women experience violence at a disproportional rate. DEFINITIONS MARGINALIZED: RELEGATED TO AN UNIMPORTANT • Native women face the highest rates of violence, OR POWERLESS POSITION WITHIN A SOCIETY OR double the rate of the general population. GROUP • Black women are three times more likely than OPPRESSION: UNJUST OR CRUEL EXERCISE OF white women to die from domestic violence. While AUTHORITY OR POWER making up 8% of the population, they account for 22% of domestic violence-related homicides. OUTING: THE PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF THE COVERT SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY OF A PERSON THE LYRE 7