Women Speak Out in DC and Here

   Nearly 4.9 million American women suffer intimate partner rapes and physical assaults annually. As many as 10 million American children annually witness assaults by one parent on another. Domestic violence is not just a women’s issue, it is every man’s issue — it is a community issue.
   That’s the message that the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence took to Washington on its fifth annual lobby day, today, March 5, marking its 25th year of working to end domestic violence.
   The Coalition lobbied Congress for full funding of Violence Against Women Act’s programs and anti-domestic violence legislation , as well as calling for the active involvement of more men in the movement.
   The week’s events will culminate with “International Women’s Day” on Saturday, March 8.
   The day will be marked in Santa Monica with a a tribute to women, “Where We Have Been and What We Can Become,” at 7 p.m., Saturday, in the Yard, an upstairs loft at 1414 Lincoln Boulevard (behind Warszawa Restaurant).
   The tribute will include musical performances and readings, focusing on human rights issues and highlighting ways in which women have overcome obstacles to achieve success in medicine, busines,, sports, music and film.
   Taking part will be actor/author and daughter of Dr. Ralph Abernathy, Donzaleigh Abernathy, Croatian composer Nenad Bach, actors Sarah Clark, Mira Furlan and Beata Pozniak, and producer Nancy Miller.