Domestic violence makes up 21% of all violent crime experienced by women. The Centers for Disease Control estimates the cost of domestic violence in lost productivity alone to be over $700 million annually. Then there are the lost lives. According to the U.S. Justice Department, 1,247 women were murdered by an intimate partner in 2001. Each of these crimes have their own costs. A murder trial and subsequent incarceration, for instance, costs an average of over $500,000.
A less obvious, but no less terrible, cost of domestic violence is the impact upon children raised in violent homes. Boys who witness domestic violence are much more likely to become abusers and girls are much more likely to end up in abusive relationships. If the household violence escalates to murder, there are the additional costs of foster care, both economic and emotional.
Domestic violence impacts our neighbors, our workplace, our schools, our economy, our insurance rates, our friends, our families. Whether it's the loss of income for a business, the increase of overall health insurance premiums, or having children who end up with partners that were raised with violence as a norm, we all pay a price for domestic violence. This is not a "women's issue", or a family problem. It is a social issue and a community problem requiring a community solution. We have one.
We believe women shouldn't have to flee violent homes; violence should be removed from their homes. However, we recognize that is not the society in which we live. While we at Created Equal work toward that society, we are also building The Oasis Project. The Oasis Project is a self sustaining Violence Recovery Community for women and children escaping violence.
Traditional shelters, while vitally important, are limited by the need for ongoing funding and can generally only provide a short respite for a woman fleeing violence. Because of economic dependency, a sense that "any father is better than no father," a lack of housing options, and many other concerns, women who might otherwise leave a violent home end up returning to their partners. The Oasis Project, by creating a community, provides safe surroundings for survivors and their children, counseling and education for parents and children, job skills development, and the time needed for the healing and self-reflection necessary to change lives.
With the funds provided by our organization and the personal $1 Million contribution of two of our directors, we are more than halfway home. If everyone who reads this contributes $10, we'll have the rest. Together we can change lives. Together we can save lives. Please contribute what you can.