Title
Declaring October 2020 Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Body
WHEREAS the City Council of Saint Paul, Minnesota recognizes that living free from domestic violence is a fundamental human right; and
WHEREAS domestic violence affects women, children and men of all races, sexual orientations and identities, spiritual beliefs, ages, educational backgrounds and economic conditions; and one out every three women in Minnesota will experience domestic violence in their lifetime; and
WHEREAS domestic violence involves physical, sexual, psychological and economic abuse, intimidation and isolation; and
WHEREAS domestic violence is a pattern of power and abuse used by a person to control and oppress another; and that all forms and systems of oppression must be eliminated; and
WHEREAS in 2019, at least sixteen women in Minnesota were killed by a current or former intimate partner; and almost half were killed with firearms; and
WHEREAS at least five more Minnesotans who were friends, family or bystanders lost their lives during a domestic violence incident; and
WHEREAS in this past year thirty-seven children lost their mothers due to domestic violence; in which twenty-three of those children were minors, and four were present at the time of their mother’s murder or the discovery of her body; and
WHEREAS the City of Saint Paul, from being home of the first domestic violence shelter in the nation and birthplace of the national Blueprint for Safety, to the creation of Bridges to Safety Victim Service Center and a multi disciplined model to prevent the use of firearms to intimidate and harm victims,- is recognized as a national leader in ensuring all victims and their children are safe and dangerous perpetrators are held accountable for their violence; and
WHEREAS we as a community, from our first responders, community-based domestic violence programs, justice system workers, medical providers, educators, government systems, faith communities, businesses and community leaders and members, pay tribute to the lives and the courage of the victims we serve, and the support and impact we have found in our continued work together; and now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED that the Saint Paul City Council declares October 2020 to be Domestic Violence Awareness Month.