October 1, 2020: Honor Domestic Abuse Awareness Month — Help Filmmaker Tracy Schott’s Voices4Change End Intimate Partner Violence

Listen to the podcast on Inkandescent Radio Help Tracy Schott Put an End to Murder

"Intimate partner homicides are on the rise with an average of 4 women killed each day in the United States. 28% of women in the United States experience physical abuse in their lifetime," explains the organization's founder, filmmaker, and social worker Tracy Schott.

Voices4Change is a grassroots organization whose goal is to raise awareness of the risks of intimate partner violence during pregnancy, elevate the voices of survivors, and end intimate partner homicide.

This effort grew out of the documentary film Finding Jenn’s Voice, which examines the risks of homicide during pregnancy and explores the nature of abusive relationships by looking beyond the black eye.

“Intimate partner homicides are on the rise with an average of 4 women killed each day in the United States. 28% of women in the United States experience physical abuse in their lifetime,” explains the organization’s founder, filmmaker, and social worker Tracy Schott. “Worldwide, 50,000 women are killed by intimate partners or family members. Voices4Change provides information, a forum for discussion, and tools to help change these horrific statistics.”

While social distancing and self-quarantine are necessary to slow the spread of the Covid-19 virus, these are measures that can be very dangerous for those experiencing intimate partner violence. Isolation and time in close proximity with abusers can place victims and survivors at increased risk for escalating violence. Additionally, stressors of financial uncertainty, school closures, and a decrease of available social services can mean the difference between safety and independence and life with an abuser. While overall crime rates are decreasing, domestic violence calls are escalating.

IMPORTANT: If you are in danger or would like more information about the effects of the virus on intimate partner violence, we encourage you to reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline or call 800.799.7233.

Tracy says: “We at Voices4Change want to help. For the month of May we are streaming Finding Jenn’s Voice free of charge. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to become a #Voice4Change.” Click here to read the stories of the survivors.

Click here for our cover story featuring Tracy and her work in the October 2020 issue of Inkandescent Women magazine.