ExecutiveOrdersEO
Proc 8416ProclamationObama · DCeremonial

Proclamation 8416

Fifteenth Anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act

This proclamation commemorates the 15th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), originally authored by then-Senator Joe Biden and signed into law in September 1994. The document recounts VAWA's achievements in improving criminal justice response, creating federal domestic violence crimes, establishing a national hotline, and funding victim services, while calling for continued collaborative action to address ongoing challenges including violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women and gaps in rural services.

Federal Register Open PDF 74 FR 47869

Key directives

  • call upon men and women of all ages, communities, organizations, and all levels of government to work in collaboration to end violence against women

Timeline

Immediate

  • proclamation issued commemorating 15th anniversary

Near term (90d)

—

Long term

—

Risks & tensions

  • document is purely commemorative with no binding policy directives or funding mechanisms; call to action is aspirational rather than enforceable
Proclamation 8416: Fifteenth Anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act · Executive Orders