Vision Statement

The future is simple:
Every woman will be safe in her own home.
No woman will fear the one she loves.
Women and their children will be treated with dignity and respect.

 

Guiding Principles

Feminism (the demand for social justice and equality between genders) informs our analysis, policies, and practice. 

ICADV finds strength in the diversity of our voices and nurtures the participation and leadership of women from all walks of life, particularly battered and formerly battered women, women of color, and other s who have been disenfranchised. 

Women’s life-generated risks can be as damaging and formidable as the risks generated by batterers. While we must meet the immediate safety needs of battered women and their children, those needs will not truly be met without cultural change to ensure social and economic justice for women.

ICADV encourages non-traditional and creative responses to the issues of domestic abuse and the engagement of allies throughout our communities in this work.

Excellence is our standard. Local and national leadership is our goal. We hold ourselves accountable to providing the kind of services and advocacy we would expect for our own daughters. 

 

Admission Statement

The Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which is a coalition made up of domestic violence programs in Iowa, admits that it is a primarily white coalition dominated by white women. We recognized that the combination of racial prejudice and the power that enforces that prejudice exits in all facets of ICADV on an individual, as well as an institutional level. We know that European Americans benefit from privileges that are not available to people of color. We acknowledge that the voices of women of color have not been heard. The institutionalization of white feminist thinking and values creates and maintains an environment within the Coalition that prevents full participation of women of color as leaders, advocates, and women seeking services.