Domestic violence is the leading cause  of injury to women aged 15 to 45 —  higher than car accidents, muggings and rapes, combined. But YOU can help facilitate more protection for these women.

Sarah Robinson wants to escape her abusive marriage. But the state of North Carolina says she has to wait a year before getting a divorce, making it harder for abused spouses to rebuild their lives.

Victims of domestic violence in North Carolina can obtain protection orders that last for 12 months. But victims’ advocates know that the very act of seeking a protection order can be among the most dangerous times for a victim fleeing domestic violence.In fact, law enforcement experts report that some victims are at even higher risk for violent retaliation after a protection order is granted.

Sarah says this “one-year rule” in North Carolina divorce law is harming victims by making them sitting targets for their assailants. It’s time to put the safety of domestic violence survivors first.

Here is her story:

In the State of North Carolina the law for a married couple to get a divorce is a separation of a year and one day. There are no exceptions to this rule. This can be understandable for a cooling off period. However, there should be some exceptions to this rule. One in particular that would be in the instance of Domestic Violence. The victim has to remain married to their abuser for the year and one day before they can file for divorce. There should be an exception to the rule. There are so many things that are unable to be changed for the victim without the divorce decree. In a lot of instances, they feel unprotected. If there is proof and an order is in place, a victim should be able to file for divorce from their abuser within 60-90 days instead of the normal year and a day. I myself have experienced my abuser able to get a job at my same place of employment, loss of insurance without a divorce decree, and unable to have seperation of items through courts leaving me in a financial drain and him in a financial gain. There is so much more as well but this was just the tip of the iceberg. I can’t change my name and he has used his status to illegally gain access to medical records. Victims need to be protected more. When I tried to remove my abuser from my health insurance, they told me that Domestic Violence orders and separations do not count as a change in status to remove him. I was forced to carry his health insurance until I couldn’t afford to pay the premiums and the insurance company dropped me. A person who has Lupus, RA, and other health issues.

Create change today, by signing her petition HERE. Make the change!

If you are the victim of abuse of know someone who is, call the National Domestic Violence hotline, HERE.

And, this holiday season, give to organizations like Safe Passage, who seek to empower women again through compassionate healing.