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Missoula advocate calls domestic violence a ‘war against women’ at MLK gathering
Summary
A representative of Women’s Place told a Missoula audience that domestic violence remains pervasive and described it as a continuing ‘war against women,’ urging community solidarity and action.
Mary Thorndike, who works at Women’s Place, told a Jan. 15 gathering in Missoula that domestic violence remains widespread and described it as “a war against women.”
“This is a war going on all around us, in our living rooms, in our bedrooms, in our streets, on our campuses,” Thorndike said, and she cited national figures when discussing the scale of the problem. “Last year, nearly 4,000 women were killed through domestic violence,” she said, adding that domestic violence is “the single largest cause of injury to women in this country.”
Thorndike recounted murders and assaults she said had occurred locally, and said her organization had received more than 1,000 calls from women in the Missoula area over the past year seeking help for rape, beatings, and other abuse. “Many of these women fear for their lives,” she said, and urged the community to stand together to prevent further deaths.
Thorndike connected the work of anti‑war activists and anti‑violence advocates, saying veterans and survivors of war can also be survivors of domestic abuse, sexual assault and child abuse. She called for stronger community solidarity and continued public protest against violence in all its forms.
