WITH BOROUGH PRESIDENT SCOTT STRINGER AND THE NYS OFFICE FOR THE PREVENTION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) were joined Tuesday by Tony Award-winning playwright and activist Eve Ensler and a coalition of advocates, elected officials, non-profit leaders, and survivors to illuminate the signs of Times Square purple in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The display was organized as a part of OPDV’s statewide Shine the Light on Domestic Violence Campaign.
Five major Times Square billboards, including ABC Supersign, JVC, Nasdaq, Thomson Reuters and SL Green and the Military Recruitment station on Military Island were simultaneously lit up in purple to shine a light on an issue that impacts nearly one in four women in America.
The event came on the heels of a new report released by Borough President Stringer and Sakhi for South Asian Women on economic abuse, an insidious and under-recognized form of domestic violence. While currently unrecognized in State or City law as a form of domestic violence, economic abuse can take on many forms, from racking up debt in a victim’s name, to stealing personal documents and belongings, to preventing a victim from gaining financial literacy or employment.
“When the billboards of Times Square are illuminated with the official color of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, it will shine a light on an issue that impacts one out of every four women in their lifetime,” said Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. “Intimate partner violence may occur behind closed doors, but it’s happening all around us. Tonight’s event shows that New Yorkers are standing unified in the fight to end domestic violence, one billboard at a time.”
“We are proud to stand at the “Crossroads of the World” as the City of New York and Times Square once again shines the light on domestic violence,” Gwen Wright, Acting Executive Director of the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence said. “As the iconic billboards turn purple tonight, we know that the message goes out to victims that they are not alone and that help is available. Together we will bring the problem of domestic violence out of the darkness.”
“Our participating Times Square sign operators and advertisers are pleased to use our digital displays to help draw attention to the subject of domestic violence,” said Alan High, Chairman of the Times Square Advertising Coalition and President and General Manager, Spectacolor and Mall Divisions, Clear Channel Outdoor. “What better place to shine the light on this issue than here in Times Square – one of the brightest places in the world.”
“I am honored to join all of those gathered in Times Square this evening as the Great White Way shines purple, as a reminder of all those who have struggled with domestic violence,” said Cristyne Nicholas, Chair of the Broadway Association.
Borough President Stringer has long been committed to combating domestic violence. A leader on women’s issues, Stringer authored a landmark 1994 bill while in the Assembly mandating that police officers, rather than victims, serve orders of protection for battered women. In 1996, he also authored the law banning insurance discrimination against domestic violence victims. Stringer additionally fought to pass the first anti-stalking legislation in New York State. He supported the Safe Harbor Act to protect those forced into domestic trafficking, and he has also issued a policy report focusing on sexual harassment and assault on New York City subways. He has also launched a website that lists resources available for victims of domestic violence.
Stringer is now partnering with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. and the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence to establish the Manhattan Family Justice Center, which will offer comprehensive legal and support services for victims of domestic violence under one roof.
Additional co-sponsors of Shine the Light include the Anti-Violence Project, Barnard-Columbia University – VDAY and Take Back the Night, Barrier Free Living, Beth Israel – Victim Services, Broadway Association Incorporated, Center Against Domestic Violence, Center for Anti-Violence Education, Children’s Aid Society, Columbia Community Health House, Connect, Council of Senior Centers and Services, CUNY, Day One, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. – New York Chapter, Dominican Women’s Development Center, Female Veterans Alliance, Food First, Inc., Harlem Hospital – Center for Victim Support, HELP USA, Henry Street Settlement, hollaback!, inMotion, Joyful Heart Foundation, Korean American Family Service Center, Legal Aid Society, Legal Momentum, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., Metropolitan Hospital Center, Milagros Day Worldwide, Mount Sinai – Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Program, New Destiny Housing, New York Asian Women’s Center, New York City Administration for Children’s Services, New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault, New York Legal Assistance Group, New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation, NOW NYC, P.O.W.E.R.S., Inc., Pace University Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, Palladia, Inc., Planned Parenthood New York City, Relationship Abuse Prevention Program/RAPP, Safe Horizon, SAKHI for South Asian Women, Sanctuary for Families, St. Luke’s Roosevelt Crime Victims Treatment Center, STEPS to End Family Violence, Stop Street Harassment, Times Square Advertising Coalition, Times Square Alliance, Turning Point for Women and Families, Violence Intervention Project, Voices of Women Organizing Project, Women Beyond Survival, Women’s City Club of New York, and YWCA Brooklyn.
