HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

122

THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

URGING THE STATE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN TO WORK WITH THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ACTION CENTER, THE FILIPINO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF HAWAII, AND OTHER CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE IN HAWAII, AS APPROPRIATE, TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT AN OUTREACH PROGRAM AIMED AT INFORMING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES FOR ASSISTANCE.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, domestic violence is often an undetected problem that can have deadly consequences; and

 

     WHEREAS, in Hawaii, one in three women and one in four men have had some form of physical abuse by a partner; and

 

     WHEREAS, the number of reported domestic violence cases in Hawaii spiked during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and is expected to continue growing as the State recovers from the economic effects of the pandemic; and

 

     WHEREAS, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Asian and Pacific Islander communities experience domestic violence at much higher rates than the general population; and

 

     WHEREAS, Filipinos and part-Filipinos, who represent approximately twenty-five percent of Hawaii's population, constitute thirty percent of reported victims of domestic abuse in the State, and are therefore overrepresented as domestic violence victims in Hawaii; and

 

     WHEREAS, the State Commission on the Status of Women acts as a coordinating body for governmental and nongovernmental activities and information relating to the status of women; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Domestic Violence Action Center is a nonprofit corporation committed to addressing domestic violence and other forms of harm through leadership, unique services, legal representation, survivor and system advocacy, community education, and social change work; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Domestic Violence Action Center has staff who are specifically trained in and have knowledge of various cultures, including Filipino, Korean, and Japanese cultures, and cultures of the Compacts of Free Association freely associated states, as well as the unique needs of the LGBTQ+ community, and can also provide culturally-sensitive services, including translation and creation of posters and signage in various languages; and

 

     WHEREAS, members of the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii can assist in informing domestic violence victims of the means in which they can receive help, including placing posters and signage in discreet areas including restrooms; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, the Senate concurring, that the State Commission on the Status of Women is urged to work with the Domestic Violence Action Center, Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, and other chambers of commerce in Hawaii, as appropriate, to develop and implement an outreach program aimed at informing domestic violence victims of available resources for assistance, including placement of posters and signage in various languages in discreet areas; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State Commission on the Status of Women is requested to submit a report of its progress in the development and implementation of the outreach program, findings and recommendations, and proposed legislation, if any, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2023; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Executive Director of the State Commission on the Status of Women, Chief Executive Officer of the Domestic Violence Action Center, and President of the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii.

Report Title: 

Domestic Violence Victims; Outreach Program; State Commission on the Status of Women; Resources