Jersey City Silent March.

October is nationally recognized as Domestic Violence Awareness Month when a variety of events including vigils and seminars organized on local, state and national levels take place. These are held to acknowledge the prevalence of violence against women in all communities, to mourn the loss of lives to this brutal reality and to commemorate the efforts and successes of survivors of violence. This tradition evolved from the Day of Unity observed in October 1981 and became a month-long event in 1987.

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Since 2005 Manavi has commemorated Domestic Violence Awareness Month with an Annual March. On Saturday, October 14th 2006, Manavi staff, founding members and volunteers came together at the corner of Newark Avenue and Kennedy Boulevard in Jersey City, New Jersey. Men and women marched in silence with banners and placards, unified in their belief that love does not translate into violence, raising awareness about the prevalence of violence against women in the South Asian community. The silent army made at least three rounds of Newark Avenue, the hub of South Asian activity in Jersey City, distributing flyers and information cards along the way. The North American edition of the daily newspaper, 'Indian Express,' covered the event.

The statistics of domestic violence against women remain staggering. Studies have proven that around the world, at least one out of three women has experienced violence and abuse. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics Crime Data Brief, Intimate Partner Violence, in 2001 85% of the victims of intimate partner violence were women. According to the Commonwealth Fund Survey nearly one-third of women in the US are physically or sexually abused by their husbands or boyfriends at some point in their lives. While research data ...