One need only watch the nightly news to see that violence against women and young girls is escalating.  Doubtless the severity of economic hardship facing families today only exacerbates tensions and despair, which all to often trigger domestic violence. Not only is this a concern for all of the women out there (one in four women are victims of abuse at the hands of intimate partners in their lifetimes) but also for teenage girls (one in three teenage girls fears for her safety in a dating relationship).  The ongoing, often ignored issue has been given added weight in the aftermath of the highly publicized Chris Brown-Rihanna incident. Tragically, some polls show over 50% of teenagers view that abuse as "her" fault.

Now our savvy sisters and feministas over at The New Agenda are kicking up their heels by sponsoring a Violence Against Women Forum in NYC at The Benjamin Hotel on Saturday, April 18th from 3-5 p.m.

Panelists include:  Judge Leslie Crocker Snyder (retired justice NY Supreme Court and possibly the next Manhattan DA) along with  renowned experts in the area of domestic violence, Karen Cheeks-Lomax of My Sister’s Place, Manhattan Deputy Borough President Rosemonde Pierre-Louis, and Irene Weiser of Stop Family Violence.org.

Violence against women, whether random or domestic, is not an American issue but a global one.  Yesterday, The Council of Europe began the work on a new Europe-wide convention on action against violence against women. And the Committee on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (CAHVIO) are meeting in Strasbourg to discuss an international, legally binding framework based on the trademark Council of Europe approach – protect, prevent and prosecute. The collective cry must be blaring and glaring…so much so that law enforcement and governments worldwide finally say: "ENOUGH!"

But you don’t have to travel to Europe or even New York to be heard.  If you do live in and around NYC, I encourage you to attend The New Agenda’s bold forum next weekend (I am doing my best to do so).  But regardless of whether you are able to be there in person, please plan to visit them online to stay apprised of the critical steps being taken by these fierce feministas.

NOW WATCH THIS!