RESOLUTION NO. RS2015-1481

A resolution recognizing the YWCA of Nashville & Middle Tennessee’s MEND Program.

WHEREAS, each day in the United States, more than three women die at the hands of a man who says he loves her; and

WHEREAS, about 1 in 4 women have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner; and

WHEREAS, domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness, and 63 percent of homeless women have experienced domestic violence in their adult lives; and

WHEREAS, approximately 1 in 3 adolescent girls in the U.S. is a victim of physical, emotional, or verbal abuse from a dating partner, and 1 in 5 high school girls has been physically or sexually abused; and

WHEREAS, 15.5 million children witness domestic violence each year, and 30-60 percent of those children are also being physically abused; and

WHEREAS, boys who witness domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their own partners and children when they become adults than boys from non-abusive homes; and

WHEREAS, nearly 1 in 5 women have been raped at some time in their lives, and 1 in 4 women report being a victim of stalking in their lifetime; and

WHEREAS, violence against women and girls in our community cuts across all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic boundaries, and a safer place for women and girls equates to increased safety for families and communities; and

WHEREAS, violence is instrumental in maintaining control, and more than 90 percent of systematic, persistent, and injurious violence is perpetrated by men; and

WHEREAS, Tennessee is ranked 10th in the nation at the rate at which women are killed by men; and

WHEREAS, each year, more than 90,000 women and girls in the State of Tennessee are victims of violent crime, and 63 percent of female-victim homicides are domestic violence-related; and

WHEREAS, in one year, violence against women and girls cost the State of Tennessee nearly $1 billion in law enforcement and county jails, the judicial system, medical and mental health services, social services, workplace productivity and lost wages; and

WHEREAS, the Metro Nashville Police Department receives 26,000 domestic violence related calls annually, which equates to 1 call every 20 minutes; and

WHEREAS, the YWCA of Nashville & Middle Tennessee (“YWCA”) has served Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County since 1898; and

WHEREAS, the YWCA is the largest provider of domestic violence services in the State of Tennessee and has provided these services in partnership with the City of Nashville for more than three decades; and

WHEREAS, reducing the incidence of violence against women and girls requires tangible efforts from men because the END of violence against women and girls begins with MEN; and

WHEREAS, the YWCA has created MEND as a primary prevention initiative to reduce all violence against all women and girls in Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County; and

WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper that the Metropolitan Council recognize the YWCA of Nashville & Middle Tennessee’s MEND Program that seeks to reduce domestic violence through engagement and education of men and boys.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:

Section 1. The Metropolitan County Council hereby goes on record as recognizing the YWCA of Nashville & Middle Tennessee’s MEND Program as a primary prevention initiative that seeks to end violence against women and girls, by elevating the conversation about violence against women and girls in our community, by engaging men to be allies and giving them the tools to manage the current culture, and by educating boys differently so that they are raised to respect and value women and girls.

Section 2. The Metropolitan County Council goes on record as working toward making Nashville the safest city in the nation for women and girls.

Section 3. The Metropolitan Council Office is directed to prepare a copy of this Resolution to be presented to the YWCA of Nashville & Middle Tennessee in recognition of the MEND Program.

Section 4. This Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.

Sponsored by: Megan Barry, Jason Holleman, Peter Westerholm, Karen Johnson, Steve Glover, Carter Todd, Erica Gilmore, Burkley Allen, Bill Pridemore, Lonnell Matthews, Larry Hagar, Phil Claiborne, Karen Bennett, Sandra Moore, Sean McGuire, Davette Blalock, Jacobia Dowell, Robert Duvall, Fabian Bedne, Jason Potts, Buddy Baker, Brady Banks, Scott Davis, Duane Dominy, Edith Taylor Langster, Emily Evans, Anthony Davis, Charlie Tygard, Tim Garrett, Ronnie Steine, Jerry Maynard, Frank Harrison, Walter Hunt, Doug Pardue, Tony Tenpenny, Josh Stites, Bruce Stanley

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
Referred to:	Rules & Confirmations Committee
Introduced:	May 5, 2015
Adopted:	May 5, 2015
Approved:	May 6, 2015
By: