Mission Statement

The South Dakota Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (SDCADVSA) is dedicated to the reclamation of the respected, autonomous and safe status of women who have been battered/raped, and their children and therefore is committed to the elimination of personal and societal violence in the lives of women and their children.

The SDCADVSA believes violence against women and their children results from the use of force or threat to achieve and maintain control over others in intimate relationships and societal abuses of power and domination in the forms of sexism, racism, homophobia, classism, anti-semitism, ablebodyism, ageism, and other oppressions. The SDCADVSA recognizes the abuse of power in society fosters battering and rape by perpetuating conditions that condone violence. Therefore, it is the mission of SDCADVSA to work for the major societal changes necessary to eliminate all forms of oppression, particularly those aimed at women and their children.

The SDCADVSA’s work includes: Coalition building at the state, local, regional, tribal and national levels; support for the community-based nonviolent alternatives, such as safe home and shelter programs for women who are battered/raped and their children; public education and technical assistance; policy development and innovative legislation; focus on the leadership of SDCADVSA’s caucuses and task forces developed to represent the concerns of organizationally under represented groups; and efforts to eradicate societal conditions which contribute to violence against women and children.

PRINCIPLES OF UNITY

The South Dakota Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault governing membership is comprised of programs whose primary purpose is responding to women who have been battered/raped and their children. Supporting membership includes individuals and affiliated programs who support the mission and philosophy of SDCADVSA, but whose organizational primary purpose differs from that of the SDCADVSA. (delete: comprises people dealing with concerns of battered women and their children). We represent both rural, tribal and urban areas. Our programs support and involve women who have been battered/raped of all racial, ethnic, gender orientations, religious and economic groups, ages and lifestyles. We oppose the use of violence as a means of control over others, and advocate equality in all relationships and the autonomy, safety and freedom of all women. We envision and pro-actively support independent community-based groups in which women of those communities make major policy and program decisions.

In recognizing that hierarchy is the root cause of violence against women, we are committed to maintaining and nurturing grassroots programs, organizations and communities. We continually acknowledge and honor the fact that this movement was born through the work and lives of women who have been victimized by violence and their allies. We strive to ensure grassroots leadership and involvement of women who have been battered/raped in all matters, especially, policy-making and governance. We define "grassroots" as being of the group and/or community that governance and decision-making impact, and expertise based on personal experience, skill and character.