Don’t Look Away Day

Proclamation
By the Governor of Alabama
WHEREAS, every nine seconds in the United States a woman is assaulted or beaten; and
WHEREAS, around the world, at least one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime. Most often, the abuser is a member of her own family; and
WHEREAS, domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women—more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined; and
WHEREAS, nearly 1 in 5 teenage girls who have been in a relationship said a boyfriend threatened violence or self-harm if presented with a breakup; and
WHEREAS, every day in the U.S., more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends; and
WHEREAS, domestic violence victims lose nearly 8 million days of paid work per year in the U.S. alone—the equivalent of 32,000 full-time jobs; and
WHEREAS, the costs associated with intimate partner violence in the U.S. exceed $5.8 billion per year; additionally, $4.1 billion are for direct medical and health care services, while productivity losses account for nearly $1.8 billion; and
WHEREAS, men who as children witnessed their parents’ domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their own wives than sons of nonviolent parents; and
WHEREAS, Don’t Look Away Day provides an excellent opportunity for citizens to learn more about preventing domestic violence and stop turning a “blind eye” to warning signs with family and friends, breaking the taboo of domestic violence being the victims fault:
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Kay Ivey, Governor of Alabama, do hereby proclaim October 1, 2017, as
Don’t Look Away Day
in the State of Alabama, and I urge all Alabamians to work together to eliminate domestic violence.
Given Under My Hand and the Great Seal of the Office of the Governor at the State Capitol in the City of Montgomery on the 21st day of August 2017.
Kay Ivey
Governor