International Women’s Day is often a time to celebrate the achievements and progress of women around the world. But this year’s theme: Rights. Justice. Action. for ALL Women and Girls reminds us that celebration must also be a call to action.
Because the reality many women face is still devastating.
Nearly one in three women worldwide, around 840 million, have experienced physical or sexual violence, most often from an intimate partner. Every day, approximately 137 women and girls are killed by a partner or family member.
Here in Colorado, the numbers reflect the same urgent crisis. In 2024, overall homicides dropped to a five-year low of 266, yet domestic violence deaths increased 24% to 72. According to the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice, nearly 15% of homicides in the first half of 2025 were related to domestic violence.
Behind each statistic is a person – a parent, a daughter, a friend, a neighbor. And behind each tragedy is a moment when intervention might have made the difference.
Rights. Justice. Action. Starts With Us.
On February 18, survivors, advocates, legislators, and community members gathered at the Colorado State Capitol to testify in support of HB26-1009, the Colorado Mandatory Lethality Assessment Act, a bill designed to help prevent domestic violence homicides.
Their testimony was powerful, emotional, and deeply personal. Many described moments when they did not yet realize the level of danger they were facing and how earlier intervention could have changed everything.
Their voices filled the room with courage, urgency, and a shared commitment: we must do more to protect survivors.
This International Women’s Day, your donation helps ensure survivors have access to safety, advocacy, and support when they need it most. Donate today and stand with survivors.
A Critical Moment for Intervention
HB26-1009 seeks to create that moment.
Left to Right: Heather Marcy, Executive Director of SPAN, Rep. Monica Duran, Hon. Jonathan Singer, Boulder Chamber
Championed by Representatives Monica Duran and Ryan Gonzalez, the bipartisan legislation would establish a statewide mandatory lethality assessment protocol for law enforcement responding to domestic violence calls.
When officers arrive on scene, they would ask survivors a set of evidence-based questions designed to assess the risk of serious harm or homicide. If someone is identified as high risk, officers would immediately connect them with a trained advocate who can provide safety planning, resources, and support in real time.
Those few minutes during one of the most dangerous moments in a survivor’s life can be life-changing.
During the hearing, Heather Marcy, Executive Director of the Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence (SPAN), explained why this approach matters.
“By having law enforcement screen for lethality and immediately connect high-risk individuals with trained advocates during the most dangerous moments, we can change outcomes for victims and survivors.”
Research shows that connecting survivors with advocacy at the moment of crisis can be one of the most effective ways to prevent future harm.
Following hours of testimony and strong bipartisan support, the bill passed out of the House Judiciary Committee, marking an important step toward strengthening Colorado’s response to domestic violence.
As Marcy emphasized in her closing remarks:
“HB26-1009 is not just a procedural change. It is a life-saving intervention for the safety of our families and the prevention of future domestic violence fatalities in Colorado.”
For survivors, legislation like this represents more than policy.
It represents possibility: earlier support, access to life-saving resources, and the reassurance that when someone reaches out for help, they will not have to face that moment alone.
HB26-1009 is more than a bill.
It is a promise.
A promise that survivors will be seen.
A promise that their risk will be taken seriously.
A promise that help will come when it is needed most.
Supporting Survivors Beyond the Crisis
These realities are why organizations like Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence (SPAN) exist.
Every day, SPAN works to support survivors as they move from crisis toward safety and healing. This includes providing emergency shelter for survivors and their children, legal advocacy for those navigating complex court systems, and counseling and support groups that help individuals process trauma and rebuild confidence.
SPAN also offers long-term support, helping survivors regain stability, independence, and community as they rebuild their lives.
Supporting survivors is not about rescuing them. It’s about ensuring they have the resources, safety, and dignity to determine their own path forward.
Because violence rarely exists in isolation. Survivors often navigate trauma, safety concerns, and complicated legal systems while still being expected to show up as parents, partners, colleagues, friends, and caregivers.
Too often, they carry these burdens silently.
International Women’s Day challenges us to do more than acknowledge these realities. It calls on all of us to build systems that ensure safety, justice, and dignity for everyone.
Because rights, justice, and safety should never be optional. Survivors, advocates, and lawmakers in Colorado are working together to prevent domestic violence fatalities and ensure survivors receive life-saving support when they need it most.
Join us! Donate today and stand with survivors.
Sources:
World Health Organization (WHO), UN Women, UNODC Global Study on Homicide, Colorado Division of Criminal Justice, Colorado domestic violence reports.
