Inside Story Americas - Can laws protect Native American women?
We examine why the Violence Against Women Act is crucial for indigenous women in the US. Why did a bill that historically enjoyed wide bipartisan support take so long to be renewed? How effective is the Violence against Women Act? And what impact will this updated law have on Native Americans? Inside Story Americas discusses with guests: Lisalyn Jacobs, the vice president for government relations at the Legal Momentum, a woman's legal defence and education fund; Donna Coker, a law professor at the University of Miami who has also worked in women's shelters in the past; and Sarah Deer, an associate professor at William Mitchell College of Law who was recently named chair of a US Department of Justice federal advisory committee designed to develop protocol for responding to sexual assault in tribal communities.