Oakland, CA - Mills College President Janet L. Holmgren was a featured speaker today at the first summit on Ending Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking in the 21st Century. Hundreds of business leaders, health care providers, educators, advocates, faith leaders, and policy-makers gathered in San Francisco in their efforts to combat violence against women. 

Other featured speakers included University of Southern California law professor and author Susan Estrich, State Senator Jackie Speier, and a surprise video address from Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. Survivors of domestic violence and trafficking also spoke.

“Safety from violence is a universal, human right,” said President Holmgren, “necessitating preventive education, as well as aggressive intervention, treatment, and advocacy.”

“It takes a community to fight violence against women, and that’s what we’ve seen at today’s summit,” said Nancy Milliken, M.D., director, UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health. “We hope this powerful network of academic and community leaders we’ve brought together will help inspire and seed similar prevention efforts across the country to protect women and girls.”

According to the Human Rights Center at the University of California at Berkeley, 47% of reported human trafficking incidents in California between 1998 and 2003 occurred in the Bay Area. The Department on the Status of Women reports that last year in San Francisco, more than 12,500 crisis calls were made to domestic violence hotlines. Since human trafficking and domestic violence crimes are often under-reported, experts agree that the incident rates are probably much higher. 

“Human trafficking and domestic violence happen right in front of us and in our own neighborhoods, which is why community-based prevention is such an imperative,” said Roselyne C. Swig, summit co-chair and founder of Partners Ending Domestic Abuse. “Each of us plays a critical role in ensuring women and children are safe from violence, through heightened awareness and the important initiatives that have been presented.”

According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, the costs of intimate partner violence annually exceed $5.8 billion, including $4.1 billion in health care expenses and $900 million in lost productivity.

In a national telephone survey conducted last year by the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence, 44% of employed adults surveyed said they experienced domestic violence’s effect in their workplaces.

A highlight of the event was a prepared video statement from Senator Clinton. “These barbaric practices have caused far too many women and families to exist in a perpetual state of fear and vulnerability,” said Clinton. “Through our combined efforts, we can work at the grassroots and legislative levels to end the cycle of abuse and trafficking.”

A Leadership Academy will be held on March 31 at Mills College to encourage ongoing activism and legislative advocacy. For more information on the Ending Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking in the 21st Century summit or Leadership Academy, visit: http://www.ucsf.edu/coe/news_dvsummit.html.

Summit Partners: Family Violence Prevention Fund, Global Fund for Women, International Museum of Women, Mills College, Partners Ending Domestic Abuse, The San Francisco Domestic Violence Consortium, UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health, Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach, and Vital Voices Global Partnership. Summit Sponsors: Kaiser Permanente, Nancy Milliken, MD, The California Wellness Foundation, KQED Public Broadcasting, Lifetime Television, San Francisco Business Times, AT&T, Blue Shield of California, California Endowment, Gerbode Foundation, Global Fund for Women, The David B. Gold Foundation, Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, Lisa Stone Pritzker, Roselyne C. Swig, Hellman Family Foundation, and Macy’s West.

Mills College is a nationally renowned, independent liberal arts college offering innovative degree programs for undergraduate women, and graduate degree and certificate programs for women and men. Consistently ranked among the top 75 liberal arts colleges in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Mills is also recognized as one of the country’s 20 most diverse liberal arts colleges. The Princeton Review selected Mills as one of 11 colleges for first-time inclusion in its Best 361 Colleges - 2005. Nestled in the foothills of Oakland, California on 135 lush acres, Mills provides a dynamic liberal arts education fostering women’s leadership, social responsibility, and creativity.

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