For Immediate ReleaseContact: Danielle Marse-Kapr845.629.8656 | dmarsekapr@ywca.org

STATEMENT BY YWCA USA CEO Alejandra Y. Castillo

“Domestic violence continues to be an epidemic impacting one in four women in the United States. One of the primary reasons domestic violence continues at this pace is because abusers face little to no accountability for their actions. Often, they are protected by other people in power, like White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and his colleagues.”“While Mr. Kelly may feign shock over this news, I know firsthand the rigorous vetting process potential White House staff go through – no stone is left unturned. This case is yet another example of powerful men denigrating women’s experiences in order to protect and promote one another. This is a further indictment of the values of this White House, especially as it relates to victims of gender-based violence.”“With an estimated 1,600 women killed by men each year, we cannot afford to tolerate abuse, the men who perpetrate it or those who protect them. At YWCA we help over 530,000 women and their families in gender-based violence programming each year. Programs like ours are critically important for survivors, but so are the actions of decision makers, community members, and bystanders. Each person has a role to play in ending domestic violence, and we can start with accountability in one of the most powerful offices in our country – the White House.”

About YWCA USA

YWCA USA is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, stand up for social justice, help families, and strengthen communities. We are one of the oldest and largest women's organizations in the nation, serving over 2 million women, girls, and their families.YWCA has been at the forefront of the most pressing social movements for more than 150 years — from voting rights to civil rights, from affordable housing to pay equity, from violence prevention to health care reform. Today, we combine programming and advocacy in order to generate institutional change in three key areas: racial justice and civil rights, empowerment and economic advancement of women and girls, and health and safety of women and girls. Learn more: www.ywca.org.

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