Violence against Women in Kentucky

A History of U.S. and State Legislative Reform

Carol E. Jordan

• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN: 9780813144917
• eBook ISBN: 9780813144948
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Social History
• Index: Social Sciences

For more than two centuries, Kentucky women have fought for the right to vote, own property, control their wages, and be safe at home and in the workplace. Tragically, many of these women's voices have been silenced by abuse and violence. In Violence against Women in Kentucky: A History of U.S. and State Legislative Reform, Carol E. Jordan chronicles the stories of those who have led the legislative fight for the last four decades to protect women from domestic violence, rape, stalking, and related crimes.

The story of Kentucky's legislative reforms is a history of substantial toil, optimism, advocacy, and personal sacrifice by those who proposed the change. This compelling narrative illustrates, through their own points of view, the stories of survivors who serve as inspiration for change. Jordan analyzes national legislative reforms as well as the strategies that have been used to enact and enforce legislation addressing rape and domestic violence at a local level.

Violence against Women in Kentucky is the first book to look at the history of domestic violence and rape in a state that consistently falls at the bottom of women's rights rankings, as told by the activists and survivors who fought for change. Detailing the successes and failures of reforms and outlining the work that is still to be done, this volume reflects on the future of women's rights legislation in Kentucky.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1. Kentucky Women and the Advocates Who Fought for Them
• 2. The Prevalence of Violence and the Stories of Women Who Lived It
• 3. Rape and Sexual Violence: A Nation’s Reform
• 4. Domestic Violence and Stalking: A Nation’s Reform
• 5. The Structure and Strategy of Legislative Reform
• 6. The Birth of Legislative Reform in Kentucky: The 1970s
• 7. Legislative Reform: The 1980s
• 8. Legislative Reform: The 1990s
• 9. Legislative Reform: 2000 through 2012
• 10. Violence against Women Legislative Reform: Past and Future
• Appendix A: Interviews Conducted by the Author
• Appendix B: Select Anti-Rape and Domestic Violence Legislation: 1970–2012
• Appendix C: Membership on Task Forces and Councils
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index
• About the Author