Women In Government expresses deep sadness and extends condolences to the family and friends of the eight victims of gun violence in Georgia last week. In particular our hearts are with our AAPI community, which was disproportionately affected by this tragedy. Reports of bias and violence directed toward Asian American Pacific Islanders have been on the rise during the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, seven of the eight victims of this crime were women. While we continue to gather information and wait for law enforcement to complete their investigation, we must examine the convergence of gender and race-based violence to make our communities safer.

Preventing and responding to such violence requires solutions at all levels of government and throughout communities. WIG calls on local, state, and national leaders to use this opportunity to renew our work toward eliminating racism and empowering women.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., WIG is a national non-profit, non-partisan organization whose mission is to provide leadership opportunities, expert forums, and educational resources to address and resolve complex public policy issues. www.womeningovernment.org