Readout of White House Roundtable on Supporting Survivors of Stalking in Recognition of National Stalking Awareness Month
Yesterday, Assistant to the President and Director of the Gender Policy Council Jennifer Klein, Senior Advisor for Gender-Based Violence Catherine Powell, and Director of the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women Rosie Hidalgo met with survivors of stalking to hear their experiences and recommendations for ways the Biden-Harris Administration can continue to support survivors of gender-based violence, including stalking. The roundtable was held during National Stalking Awareness Month, which was galvanized by the murder of Peggy Klinke twenty years ago yesterday.
In their lifetimes, one in three women and one in six men will be affected by stalking. Stalking is increasingly facilitated by technology and takes place both online and offline. It can disrupt victims’ lives, forcing them to miss work or move from their homes, and it can severely impact physical and mental health.
Participants discussed the Administration’s commitment to ending and addressing gender-based violence and stalking wherever it occurs, including through implementation of the first U.S. National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence and the ongoing work of the White House Task Force to Address Online Harassment and Abuse. Biden-Harris Administration leaders emphasized the courageous leadership of survivors and advocates in the anti-stalking field. Survivors, advocates, and Administration officials discussed current needs in the anti-stalking field and strategies to improve support for survivors of stalking, including methods to increase access to training, resources, justice, and safety.
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