February 4, 2019

Gender-based violence happens in all communities—Chicago is no exception. Its universality means we can all play a role in preventing it. This is especially true of those who serve in public offices. They have the ability to introduce and pass laws, decide what policies and protocols are implemented, determine what social services are available and to whom, shape what our children are taught in schools, and more. That political power can have a big impact when it comes to addressing sexual harm and issues that intersect with it.

With this in mind, CAASE felt it was imperative to engage voters in making informed decisions about candidates in two major elections within four months: Illinois attorney general in November 2018 (which you can read about here) and the upcoming Chicago mayoral election on February 26, 2019. Thankfully, we are not alone in our sentiment or in our efforts. We banded together with fellow Chicago-based organizations to form coalitions to increase our impact and perspective in pressing politicians to discuss and develop smart plans to curb gender-based violence in our community.

During the current race for Chicago mayor, CAASE worked with anti-gender violence experts at The Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network, Resilience, Life Span, and The Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law to ask mayoral candidates about their plans and priorities for the issues we care about most. Many of the topics put forth in the questionnaire have been absent from the candidates’ platforms and not prioritized as talking points. They are even missing from the discourse in the multitude of forums that have been held throughout the city, making it even more critical that we bring them to the forefront.

For example, candidates are not talking about how they will address sexual abuse within schools—despite in-depth reporting by the Chicago Tribune detailing CPS’s failures to protect students. They are quiet on domestic violence and leave it out of conversations about crime in our city, even though data analysis shows that domestic violence homicides generally account for ten percent of the overall homicide rate. They are silent on funding social services to assist survivors of sexual abuse, domestic violence, and human trafficking. The list goes on.

Need to register to vote or want to make sure you are correctly registered? Click here. You may also register at early voting locations or at your precinct polling place on election day Feb. 26th.