Women Matter Alliance

04/21/2026

Domestic violence is much worse than people think it is. Women often do not report abuse due to fear of retaliation from the abuser, intense shame, stigma, and the belief that they will not be believed or will be blamed. Other factors include financial dependence, lack of awareness of support, and protecting the abuser’s reputation.

03/19/2026

DARVO is not confusion it is strategy. DARVO is used when an abuser continuously provokes their victim , when the victims reacts, then abuser suddenly “becomes” the victim as they then shift blame. This often shows up when an abuser has recordings of their victims reacting, shaming the victim. This is coercive control. This is manipulation. It is used to maintain power over their victim.

03/17/2026

Well done, New Jersey! Thank you for caring 👏🏼 Try to get PA on board with this , and then try to get family court judges to follow suit

02/21/2026

02/09/2026

“Stop sexist violence, stop violence against women. Let’s educate right now, in the present, to have a better future.” Get behind whole movement. Violence against women IS an unaddressed public health crisis that few men AND women refuse to acknowledge. Now 31, Bad Bunny was only 25 when he was brave and confident enough to speak out on a harsh truth that makes too many people feel uncomfortable.

02/01/2026

01/27/2026

Via - “When it comes to the provoke and record type of abuse where the abuser provokes you and then records OR when the abuser HARMS themselves and tells the police or Courts that it was you DETAILS are everything.

Details like his height and weight v. Yours will give the Court an image of the dynamics of power in your relationship. The emotional and psychological dynamics mirror the physical.

Details of who was wearing what, standing where etc. are all clues. Give the judge all of them.”

01/17/2026

When abuse isn’t reported the first time, it’s often later treated as a first offense, with little or no consequence. Documentation and reporting protect survivors when systems don’t. If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse please be encouraged to report the first time and do not let anyone talk you out of pressing charges. Show up to every court appearance and prepare a victim’s statement. This will be a survivor’s powerful first step in reclaiming their power. 💜

01/03/2026

This story is not just about an assault.
It’s about how abusers use children as leverage, weapons, cover, and collateral damage.

Here’s what abuse does to children, even when they’re “too young to remember”:

• Infants experience trauma through chaos, fear, and separation. their nervous systems absorb stress long before words exist
• Violence during caregiving disrupts attachment and emotional safety
• Being taken, abandoned, or used teaches a child the world is unpredictable and unsafe
• Cold exposure, neglect, or instability can have lasting developmental consequences
• Abusers often lie (about drugs, parenting, or identity) to manipulate bystanders and authorities
• Children become tools to control, punish, or silence the victim
• Community inaction (“someone else will handle it”) allows harm to continue
• Survivors are blamed, while abusers’ actions are minimized or excused
• Systems respond after damage is done, not before
• This is not an isolated incident. It is a pattern we see every day

Abuse is not just what happens to a partner.
It’s what happens through children.

Children do not need to be hit to be harmed.
They only need to be present.

If you’re reading this and something feels familiar:
You are not overreacting.
You are not imagining it.
And you are not alone.

** If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence:
Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788
Help is confidential and available 24/7.

12/31/2025

Sometimes, when we’re faced with violence or crisis, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, caught between wanting to fix everything and not knowing where to start.

What this year reminded me is that change doesn’t always begin with a solution.
Sometimes it begins with a small act: showing up, covering a meal, helping draft a motion, sitting beside someone in court, making sure a child has a bed to sleep in.

I understand this is not always life changing, but for someone leaving violence, being seen, supported, and believed can create stability and that stability can grow. It can interrupt cycles of harm. It can shift what’s passed down. It can change the trajectory of a family.

Thank you to everyone who donated, shared resources, or trusted WMA this year. Because of you, these survivors and their children were not left to navigate these moments alone. 💜