Lynn Rosenthal, M.P.A., is an American policy maker, expert, activist, and consultant for gender-based violence, sexual assault, and domestic violence serving as the first White House Advisor on Violence Against Women appointed by President Barrack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden in 2009. [1] Rosenthal is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Population Affairs and the director of the Office of Adolescent Health. [2] At the Department of Health and Human Services, Rosenthal is the Director of Sexual Violence and Gender-Based Violence. [3] Rosenthal serves as the president of The Center for Family Safety and Healing. Previously, Rosenthal was the director of Violence Against Women Initiatives for the Biden Foundation in 2017. [4]
Rosenthal holds a bachelor's degree in social work from Florida State University. Her Master's degree is in public administration from Ohio University. [2]
Rosenthal started her activism work for gender-based violence and sexual assault at the grassroots level. She was the of a director of local violence shelter and rape crisis center in Florida. [1] Her grassroots work consisted of fifteen years in reproductive health. [2] The first ten years of her work in reproductive health care, Rosenthal was a health educator, clinic adminsitrator, and community organizer in Florida. [5] As an expert in domestic violence, Rosenthal has specialized knowledge about the links between domestic violence and housing, state and local coordinated community responses, federal policy, and survived-centered activism. [6]
From 1988-1992, Rosenthal represented North Florida Women's Health & Counseling Services, an outpatient women's health center providing reproductive health care. While congruently serving as the executive director, Rosenthal acted as the clinic's media spokesperson. [5]
From 1992 to 1995, Rosenthal was the Executive Director for Refuge House, a battered women's and rape crisis center in North Florida serving eight counties. Her leadership improved the center's community reputation and financial stability. Rosenthal increased their United Way funding by 50%. Rosenthal founded a sexual violence outreach program to serve three rural counties in North Florida while director. [5]
From 1995 to 1999, Rosenthal directed the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, comprising 38 domestic violence centers serving over 74,000 people. Rosenthal participated in the alliance and task force development as well as advocating in the legislature. As director, she served as the media spokesperson and grew funding from $400,000 to $2.6 million. [5] Rosenthal created new models of service for rural domestic violence shelters and developed innovative legal strategies. [6] Rosenthal's first appearance on C-SPAN was for a 1999 Congressional News Conference representing the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence. In this appearance, Rosenthal discussed gun control legislation in the context of domestic and family violence, urging the Republican-controlled Congress to approve gun control legislation. [7]
As the executive director of the New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Rosenthal served as the media spokesperson. She coordinated the collaboration of over thirty domestic violence centers from July 2008 to June 2009. Rosenthal represented the Coalition in the New Mexico State legislature. [5] Her efforts in the coalition elevated the capacity of domestic violence centers through technical assistance and training. [5]
From 2000-2006 Rosenthal served as the executive director for the National Network to End Domestic Violence. [6] In this role, Rosenthal represented 54 state and territorial domestic violence coalitions in Congress which collectively included over 2000 local domestic violence programs. [1] [6] As executive director, Rosenthal outreached to corporate leaders to fundraise initiatives to address violence against women. [1] In 2000 and 2005, Rosenthal was an important player in the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, speaking as the Executive Director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence as a witness in the Senate Judiciary Committee. [6] After its reauthorization, Rosenthal aided communities to implement the federal legislation. [6]
In July of 2009, Lynn Rosenthal was appointed by president Barack Obama and vice president Joe Biden to become the first White House Advisor on Violence Against Women in the United States. [1] From 2009 to 2015, Rosenthal was a senior advisor to Biden and the first appointed White House Advisor on Violence Against Women. [2] [6] In Rosenthal's appointment speech, Vice President Biden described Rosenthal as "passionate about these issues and knows them backwards and forwards. And as a former director of a shelter, she’s also seen the human face of this tragic problem. She will be a leader in this White House in stopping the violence and sexual assault of women and will be an integral part of this Administration." [6] For five years, Rosenthal collaborated with Biden to innovate methods to reduce domestic violence and sexual violence while engaging with communities. [1] Rosenthal developed and led new initiatives to address sexual violence, reduce domestic violence homicides, address HIV/AIDS health disparities, worked to prevent teen dating violence, and improve workplace responses to gender-based violence. [1] [2] During Rosenthal's time as a White House Advisor, she wrote for the White House blog for five years. [1] The policy work as White House Advisor led to improvements to the Violence Against Women Act. [2]
In addition to becoming the White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, Rosenthal represented Vice President Biden on the White House Council on Women and Girls. Rosenthal also co-chaired the Federal Interagency Working Group on HIV/AIDS and Violence Against Women. [1]
Rosenthal and Vice President Biden co-chaired the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault. Rosenthal acted as a key advisor for the task force's recommendations to president Barack Obama. [1] The Task Force's primary mission was to work with agencies to coordinate a federal response to campus rape and sexual assault. The Task Force only acted in an advisory capacity to make recommendations. [8] The objectives of the Task Force were as follows:
Within one year of the memorandum passing for the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault, a report was provided to the President with implementation efforts. [8]
From March 2019 to December 2022, Lynn Rosenthal served as the President for The Center for Family Safety and Healing at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. [2] The Center for Family Safety and Healing is a multi-service organization that provides child advocacy services, maternal health care, and domestic violence services. [2] The goal for the Center for Family Safety and Healing is to break cycles of child abuse and family violence through an integrated approach. [4] As President, Rosenthal worked closely with local activists and community partners, such as the Franklin County Children’s Service, Columbus Division of Police, Columbus City Prosecutor Office, Ohio Domestic Violence Network, and CHOICES for Victims of Domestic Violence. In addition to these partnerships, Rosenthal united diverse groups of community organizations to fully address the elements of family violence, including domestic violence, child abuse, child neglect, teen dating abuse, and elder abuse. [4]
As directed by President Joe Biden, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III ordered a 90-day Independent Review Commission on Military Sexual Assault to make policy recommendations to address sexual assault and harassment in the U.S. military. [4] In 2021, Secretary Austin appointed Rosenthal to chair the IRC. [2] The IRC made 82 recommendations in four lines of effort: accountability, prevention, climate and culture, and victim care and support. [4] In July 2021, president Joe Biden endorsed the Secretary of Defense's announcement to accept the core recommendations created by the IRC. [9] The adopted policy recommendations removed the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault from the chain of command and created specialized units to handle sexual violence cases and crimes. [9] According to the announcement, sexual assault crimes occurring in the U.S. military will be prosecuted under the Uniform Code of Military Justice to the fullest extent. In Biden's endorsement of the IRC, Lynn Rosenthal was specifically thanked for leading the IRC and her decades of work to end gender-based violence and sexual assault. [9]
While being on the IRC as chair, Rosenthal appeared before the House Armed Services Subcommittee Hearing on Sexual Assault in the Military. [7] Rosenthal spoke behalf on the IRC presented a joint statement in testimony to the House. Rosenthal clarified to the House Committee that since leadership is so important in the military structure, the reforms recommended by the IRC targeted leadership specifically. She also stated that changing the military justice system alone will not reduce sexual assault without investing in preventing, improving command climates, and enhancing victim care. [7]
As the Director of Sexual and Gender-based Violence at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Rosenthal leads the Department to implement the National Plan to End Gender-based Violence. [2] Rosenthal began working as the Director in 2022.
After Rosenthal's White House service, she acted as the Vice President for Strategic Partnerships for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. [1] The hotline provides 24/7 access to resources and support specifically serving teen and young adult relationships. The Board of Directors oversees governance for the hotline as an organization to set the vision and strategic direction. [10] The mission of the hotline is to shift power back to those impacted by abuse in relationships. [10]
As the Deputy Assistant, Rosenthal oversees sexual and reproductive health services. Rosenthal began this role in July 2024. [2] The Office of Population Affairs that Rosenthal oversees services advance health outcomes and adolescent health and wellbeing. Their mission is to support high-quality clinical services, evidence-based programs, and research and evaluation in order to inform policy and engage communities. [11] As Deputy Assitant, Rosenthal also serves as the Director of the Office of Adolescent Health under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
As a consultant in Washington D.C., Rosenthal's focus is on collecting knowledge and bringing innovation together to build movement-based organizations. [1] Her mission is to end gender-based violence by inspiring groups and organizations to act. [12] As a consultant, Rosenthal achieves her mission through public speaking, teaching, creating public policy, and building strong organizations. [12] Her work extends from the local and state levels to the federal level. [12]
Schools, government agencies, and services providers are the focus for Rosenthal's policy developments to improve responses to domestic violence and sexual assault and end the conditions allowing the violence to occur. [12] Rosenthal specializes in strategic planning for smaller organizations by determining their strengths, values, and environments of change. [12] She hopes to inspire audiences through her keynote speeches and interactive workshops to end gender-based violence. [12] In addition, her services include policy and program development, strategic planning, and meeting facilitation. [12]
Lynn Rosenthal has been widely recognized at the local, state, and federal levels as a key player in policy and sexual and domestic violence advocacy. In 1999, the Florida Governor's Peace at Home Award was given to Rosenthal for making a difference in battered women and children's lives. [6] In 2005, Doris Buffet's National Sunshine Lady Foundation distinguished Rosenthal to honor her work on the Violence Against Women Act. [6] Additionally, the Sheila Wellstone Institute awarded Rosenthal as the first recipient of the National Advocacy Award in 2006. [6] In 2023, Rosenthal gave the opening welcome speech at the National Sexual Assault Conference. [13]
When Lynn Rosenthal concluded her time at the White House in 2016 at the end of the Obama administration, Vice President Biden made a speech about her departure honoring her time and dedication. [14] Biden acknowledged her critical presence while he drafted the Violence Against Women Act twenty years earlier and its reauthorization in 2000 and 2005. [14] He also recognized her work to prevent domestic violence homicides, extending protections to Native American women, and LGBTQ+ Americans. [14]
The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) is an American nonprofit anti-sexual assault organization, the largest in the United States. RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline, as well as the Department of Defense Safe Helpline, and carries out programs to prevent sexual assault, help survivors, and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice through victim services, public education, public policy, and consulting services.
Sexual assault in the United States armed forces is an ongoing issue which has received extensive media coverage in the past. A 2012 Pentagon survey found that approximately 26,000 women and men were sexually assaulted that year; of those, only 3,374 cases were reported. In 2013, a new Pentagon report found that 5,061 troops reported cases of assault. Of the reported cases, only 484 cases went to trial; 376 resulted in convictions. Another investigation found that one in five women in the United States Air Force who were sexually assaulted by service members reported it, for one in 15 men.
The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) is a United States federal law signed by President Bill Clinton on September 13, 1994. The Act provided $1.6 billion toward investigation and the prosecution of violent crimes against women, imposed automatic and mandatory restitution on those convicted, and allowed civil redress when prosecutors chose not to prosecute cases. The Act also established the Office on Violence Against Women within the U.S. Department of Justice.
The United States Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) was created following the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994. The Act was renewed in 2005, 2013 and again in 2022. The Violence Against Women Act legislation requires the Office on Violence Against Women to work to respond to and reduce violence against women in many different areas, including on college campuses and in people's homes. VAWA requires Office on Violence Against Women to administer justice and strengthen services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
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The National Network to End Domestic Violence(NNEDV) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded in 1990, based in the District of Columbia. It is a network of state and territorial domestic violence coalitions, representing over 2,000 member organizations throughout the US. The National Network to End Domestic Violence works to address the many aspects of domestic violence.
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Violence against men comprises violent acts that are disproportionately committed against men or boys. Men are overrepresented as both victims and perpetrators of violence. Violence against women is the opposite category, where acts of violence are targeted against the female gender.
The White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault was formed on January 22, 2014, after President Barack Obama directed the Office of the Vice President of the United States and the White House Council on Women and Girls to "strengthen and address compliance issues and provide institutions with additional tools to respond to and address rape and sexual assault". The Task Force is part of a wider federal move to bring awareness to sexual violence on American campuses, which also included the Office for Civil Rights release of a list of American higher education institutions with open Title IX sexual violence investigations and the It's On Us public awareness campaign. The co-chairs of the Task Force are Vice President Joe Biden and Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett.
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