Last week, Vice President Joe Biden announced the appointment of Lynn Rosenthal to the newly created White House post of Advisor on Violence against Women. Her role will be to advise the President and Vice President specifically on issues of domestic violence and sexual assault. Ms. Rosenthal has been praised as “one of the nation’s foremost experts in domestic violence policy,”[1] and a “seasoned advocate”[2] for victims of domestic violence. Sue Else, President of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, said of Rosenthal: “President Obama and Vice President Biden could not have named a more qualified, visionary leader to advise the White House on violence against women… Lynn Rosenthal is a pioneer in the movement against domestic abuse and sexual assault. Her expertise will help to shape federal policies that will serve countless survivors of domestic and sexual violence.”[3]
Rosenthal was the Executive Director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) between 2000 and 2006, she was a major advocate to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act in 2000 and 2005, and developed a national initiative in collaboration with The Allstate Foundation “to promote economic empowerment for survivors of violence.”[4] According to the White House, Rosenthal will be responsible for: “being a liaison to the domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy community; coordinating with the Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) on implementation of Violence Against Women Act programs; coordinating with the Department of Health and Human Services on implementation of Family Violence Prevention Act services (including the National Domestic Violence Hotline); coordinating with the State Department and USAID on global domestic violence initiatives; and driving the development (of) new initiatives and policy aimed at combating domestic violence and sexual assault with advocacy groups and members of Congress.”[5]
For more information, see:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/opinion/01wed4.html?ref=todayspaper
[1] White House Press Release: “Vice President Biden Announces Appointment of White House Advisor on Violence against Women” US Fed News Service, Including US State News (2009, June 27)
[2] “An Advocate for Women: Editorial” The New York Times (July 1, 2009), p. A32
[3] White House Press Release: “Vice President Biden Announces Appointment of White House Advisor on Violence against Women” US Fed News Service, Including US State News (2009, June 27)
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
