The Most Important Battle Facing Women Isn't Abortion

Feminists of a certain age warned us this would happen. They warned that the complacency of women of all ages, but particularly younger women, could end up returning us to the dark ages, politically speaking. But these doomsday scenarios often involved dire warnings around the political powderkeg of abortion. Become “politically lazy” the warning went, and we could find ourselves reliving the bad-old days of back alleys and coat hangers.
 
But it turns out that when it comes to protecting women's lives and political rights, the right to choose is the least of our problems. 
It is hard to believe that in the year 2010, women of all races, ages and socio-economic classes still find themselves struggling to enjoy the most basic human right: the right to remain safe from physical harm, particularly in one’s own home. And yet in the last year, case after high profile case has reminded us that while women may have begun to shatter the glass ceiling in corporate America, inHollywood and even in the big House, the most dangerous place for many women remains to be their own home.
 
Even more troubling than the fact that women continue to be victims of domestic abuse, is the fact that there are men whom we have entrusted to uphold the law who are enabling this victimization.
 
One of the most disturbing recent examples is the case of John Michael Farren, who served as Deputy Counsel, a senior legal role, under President George W. Bush. Farren is currently awaiting trial for attempted murder after a brutal attack that left his estranged wife with a broken jaw. Meanwhile, New York Governor David Paterson stands accused of attempting to pressure a woman into changing her story after she accused one of his closest aides of assault. One day after speaking with the governor, the woman failed to appear in court, resulting in a dismissal of the case. Though an investigation into the governor’s actions is ongoing, and he remains innocent until proven guilty (at least in theory, public opinion is another matter) the details that have emerged so far were deemed serious enough that his top criminal justice advisor resigned.
 
On the surface, these two alleged victims have very little in common. One is a white, educated attorney in Connecticut with ties to a Republican presidential administration, the other a single mother in the Bronx with personal ties to a Democratic governor. Yet both found themselves caught in the crosshairs of abuse (alleged) and powerful men.
 
So what can these two unfortunate incidents teach us? Well for starters that we have a lot more work to do, particularly when it comes to educating all men—but particularly men who have the power to shape our laws—on what measures we must take to ensure that we are doing everything in our power to create a society free ofdomestic violence. Consider this for a moment. A house bill just introduced in January would put restrictions on police officers convicted of domestic violence. Who would think that in the year 2010 such a law would not already exist? But it doesn’t.
 
So as we celebrate International Women’s Day, and we reflect on the myriad of issues facing women today—from reproductive health and family planning to pay equity—let’s not forget one of the most pressing issues facing women around the world. According to a variety of sources, including the Domestic Violence Institute a woman is battered every nine seconds, which means that between fifteen and twenty-women have been victimized since you began reading this piece. So instead of focusing on the issues that divide us politically, let’s all agree on one thing. Domestic violence of any kind has no place in our society and we must hold our leaders accountable accordingly.

Keli Goff is a political blogger for TheLoop21.com. She is the author of the critically acclaimed book Party Crashing: How the Hip-Hop Generation Declared Political Independence (Basic Books, March 2008). She is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post and previously served as an editorial contributor to RushmoreDrive.com. Keli can be seen regularly on national news programs including Anderson Cooper 360, The CBS Early Show, Lou Dobbs and BET.