Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention Program
The goal of the program is to increase awareness of and help prevent the widespread occurrence of domestic and sexual violence and abuse in our community. Our members engage in education, public awareness and service projects in our local community. We collaborate with national and local domestic violence networks and organizations and support existing activities and programs. We help advocate for victims and survivors.
The Woman’s Club of Bethesda’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention Committee focuses on supporting multiple women’s and children’s shelters in Montgomery County. We are currently a vibrant committee of six women, each of whom takes on an area of interest to them from the program. We pack and supply Welcome Tote Bags filled with personal care and grooming items for women; we also assemble and drop Buddy Bags for children in the same shelter, we supply Halloween treats for Halloween and we provide holiday gifts for kids in the shelter in December. We also host monthly Paint and Sip sessions for women at the Interfaith Women’s Shelter. Finally, we support many different activities and events at the county’s Region Institute for Children and Adolescents (RICA) throughout the year. There are plenty of opportunities for anyone interested to join in and lend a hand.
Domestic and Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention is the Signature Program of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC)
Focus areas of the general federation of women’s clubs
Intimate Partner Violence
Intimate partner violence (IPV) includes physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, as well as sexual coercion and stalking by a current or former intimate partner. An intimate partner is a person with whom another person has or had a close personal or sexual relationship.
Child Abuse
Child abuse includes all types of abuse and neglect of a child under age 18 by a parent, caregiver, or another person in a custodial role that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child.
Human Trafficking for Sexual Purposes
Sexual human trafficking is any act that has been induced by recruitment, harboring, transporting, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for purposes of a sex act in which anything of value is given to or received by any person.
Elder Abuse
Abuse later in life includes the physical, sexual, or psychological abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, or stalking of an adult 50 years or older.
Campus Sexual Assault
Campus sexual assault is any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs on a school campus without the explicit consent of the recipient.
Teen Dating Violence
Teen Dating Violence (TDV) – also known as intimate relationship violence or intimate partner violence among adolescents or adolescent relationship abuse – includes physical, psychological, or sexual abuse; harassment; or stalking of any person ages 12 to 18 in the context of a past or present romantic or consensual relationship.
Military Sexual Assault
Military sexual assault is the use of force, threats, intimidation or abuse of authority during intentional sexual sexual contact. It also includes instances where the survivor is unable to consent. Survivors of military assault include both women and men.
Violence Against Native American Women
American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) women and two-spirit people in tribal communities are disproportionately affected by sexual and gender-based violence in the United States. Research and advocacy have brought attention to the unique nature of victimization in our AIAN communities.