The following article is part two of a five-week series focusing on raising awareness about domestic violence. October is Domestic Violence Awareness month, and we hope to educate our community on this very important issue Locally, the Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center has been serving victims of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and child abuse since 1978. Last year, HCWC served 2,055 victims of abuse (face-to-face) primarily from Hays and Caldwell Counties. 816 of those were victims of domestic violence.
One out of every four women 18 years or older have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. All too often this violence ends deadly. But violence against women is not just a women’s issue. This could be your sister, your mother, your daughter, your neighbor, or even your own intimate partner — and it likely is. I have to admit that before I began working with the Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center in 2018, I was mostly oblivious to how prevalent violence against women was around me. However, I no longer have the privilege of being so ignorant. In fact, I now witness women walk through the doors of HCWC on a daily basis seeking support for the trauma they have experienced, often at the hands of men in my very own community. I see the locked gates at our domestic violence shelter at a hidden address, guarded by a security system and law enforcement on speed dial. I see how the shelter is almost always at capacity, sometimes with multiple families sharing one bedroom just to stay safe for the night from men in my community. These are things you can’t un-see.
I also see some other interesting things. I see that over 90% of our staff are women and I see that 89% of our supporters on social media are women. I see the women in my community stepping up to serve and protect their fellow women in what may be the most difficult time in their life. But where are the men? Do we truly believe that supporting women is a job just for women? It’s no wonder the phrase “toxic masculinity” is so pervasive in our culture.
