Similar legislation was introduced in the 110th and 111th United States Congress but was not passed into law.
Not only does violence against women prevent mothers from raising healthy children, it also affects the economic progress and stability within the country in which they live.
1340) was brought before the 114th Congress, sponsored by Representative Janice Schakowsky, Illinois's 9th congressional district.
I-VAWA has been criticized on the grounds that it would discriminate against male victims and impose Western values upon other societies.
According to Wendy McElroy, a research fellow at The Independent Institute, the Act "constitutes a 5-year redirection of foreign aid funds in order to insert politically-correct feminism into the structure of other nations" and "revictimizes every male victim by denying his existence.