• Neighborhood groups have formed networks of refuges, called safe-house or green- light programs because participating homes are identified by green lights, where women harassed or attacked in the streets can find safety.

• We learned from feminists in other countries. The 1976 Tribunal of Crimes Against Women, held in Brussels and attended by women from all over the world, expanded the definition of violence against women to include dowry murders* and genital mutilation. European feminists inspired both safe houses and "Take Back the Night" marches, which rally thousands of women yearly in cities across the United States to protest violence against women.

• Beginning in the 1970s, when the first state laws to protect women from abuse were enacted, we have worked diligently for improved legal responses to violence against women. The passage of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994 marked the first major attempt by the federal government to influence the enactment of strong state laws related to violence against women and to fund efforts to improve services, prosecution, law enforcement, prevention efforts, and community collaboration.

• At the United Nations Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, violence against women was identified as one of the most pressing concerns of women worldwide.

• In the 1990s, women from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, began the Clothesline Project, a visual display of violence against women based on shirts made by survivors. The first national display bringing together all of the clothesline projects occurred in Washington, DC, in 1995.

• Men who have committed themselves to working to end violence against women have begun to form groups in which men help batterers deal with their violence. Recognizing that men who do not take action support the system that promotes violence against women, they talk about their socialization in relation to women, question the extent and consequences of male dominance, and listen to and respect the women around them.

We must continue to express a vision for a violence-free world loudly and clearly. We must work to maintain a strong network of services by and for women who have survived violence.

We will continue to teach our daughters to expect equality for themselves and others. We will continue to teach our sons to question sexism and reject violence, to respect women as equals, and to work against all systems that are based on concepts of dominance. We will continue to support one another in protecting ourselves with ingenuity, strength, and pride. We applaud women who say no to male violence, who offer support to a friend, who protect one another, and who survive.