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Billings proclaims "16 Days of Activism" against gender-based violence; Zonta Club urges local action
Summary
Mayor William Cole read a proclamation declaring the International Day to End Violence Against Women through International Human Rights Day as 16 days of activism; Renee Coppock of the Zonta Club of Billings cited state and national statistics and urged support for shelters and changes to firearm access policies for known abusers.
Mayor William Cole read a proclamation designating Nov. 25 to Dec. 10 as the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence and invited representatives of the Zonta Club of Billings to speak. Renee Coppock, representing the Zonta Club of Billings, urged the council and community to publicly acknowledge gender-based violence as an ongoing problem and to support local shelters and advocacy services.
Coppock cited state and national data on the prevalence and lethality of intimate partner violence: she referenced National Coalition Against Domestic Violence figures indicating 37.2% of Montana women experience intimate partner violence or stalking in their lifetimes and noted that Indigenous women in Montana face a higher rate (cited at 47%). She also cited the 2023 Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission data documenting 30 violent interactions resulting in 48 deaths and stressed firearms were involved in a significant share of gender-based-violence-related fatalities.
Coppock asked the council to sign the proclamation and urged ongoing support for shelters, transitional housing, bystander intervention training and policy changes, including laws addressing firearm access for known abusers. The mayor thanked the Zonta Club for bringing the proclamation forward.
