Angelina Jolie hails new US Violence Against Women act: ‘It’s personal to everyone’

‘Once you’re exposed to this system, whoever you are, and you realise how unbelievably broken this system is, you have to do something to improve it,’ actor said

Angelina Jolie has welcomed the passage of the updated Violence Against Women act.

In February, a bipartisan group of US senators introduced a proposal to reauthorise the 1990s-era law that extends protections for victims of domestic and sexual violence, after it lapsed in 2019 because of Republican opposition.

The bill to renew the act was announced by Senator Dick Durbin, who was joined by his Democratic and Republican colleagues, domestic violence survivors and staunch human rights advocate Jolie.

On Tuesday (15 March), US president Joe Biden signed the bill, after which its supporters – including Jolie – attended an event to commemorate the bill’s passage. The last time the act was reauthorised was nearly a decade ago.

Reacting to the new act, which provides stronger provisions for abuse victims, Jolie told NBC its passage was a “long time coming” and “personal to everyone” who cares about “family, children, their own safety and the health of their community”.

“I think once you’re exposed to this system, whoever you are, once you’re exposed to it and you realise how unbelievably broken this system is, you have to do something to improve it,” she added.

The actor has been among the prominent voices pushing for better protection for survivors of domestic abuse, also delivering a powerful speech on 9 February urging Congress members to pass the act.

At the time, Jolie said: “This is one of the most important votes you will cast this year in the Senate.”

Speaking as the act passed, Jolie said she was focused on “helping change laws to protect other families and other women”.

Some of the new provisions under the updated act include establishing a grant to support LGBTQ+ survivors and improving forensic evidence collection to detect bruising on victims with darker skin tones.

The new Violence Against Women act will come into force later this year.