After the initial relief of the guilty verdict of the Steubenville rape case, I was horrified to see postings, tweets, and even newscasters giving sympathy to the accused convicted rapists. Complete victim-blaming rants along the lines of "Be responsible for your actions ladies before your drunken decisions ruin innocent lives," were scattered throughout the internet. As if the unconscious girl provoked the attack. As if she had any say in what was done to her. Now the brave survivor is receiving death threats.

These reactions make it no wonder that only 46% of rapes are even reported because of the fear and public shaming the victims receive. The Steubenville Case is only one out of 3% of cases that result in a conviction. One in 3%. It seems the impossible has happened --- justice for a rape survivor. Yet the backlash and rape-sympathizers that we have seen throughout the case and after the delinquent verdict, points to a huge problem our society has with women and girls.

This morning the Violence Against Women Act passed in the House of Representatives. This is exciting news for women all around the country, as this bill protects survivors of sexual and domestic violence and gives them various resources and services to prosecute their attackers. Since it's passing in 1994, this landmark legislation has reduced domestic violence by 64%, saved taxpayers billions in averted social costs, and was the first bill to make domestic violence a federal crime.

Human rights advocates breathed a sigh of relief, previously unsure of how the VAWA would get through the often-deadlocked House of Representatives. Since the bill has indeed passed and is on its way to President Obama's desk, it is a sure sign that maybe, just maybe, congress can put petty partisan fights aside and protect those who most need it.

Click here to say thank you to Congress for passing an inclusive VAWA!

Barbie is an iconic doll, who has been around since the 1950s. I had numerous Barbies (most of who were decapitated by my younger brother). I had Baywatch Barbie, Texas Longhorn cheerleader Barbie, teacher Barbie, wedding Barbie (with Ken) and all the Barbie books to match. I can thank my aunt for signing me up for the Barbie book club, in which Barbie, and her siblings/friends, went on all kinds of adventures. Barbie had numerous jobs in these books, to match her doll personalities. She was a vet, a doctor, nurse, pre-school teacher and a fashion designer.

Although it is encouraging to show girls that Barbie can have a variety of careers, there was never a real-world Barbie. Barbie is distorting the way girls think about themselves because Barbie is not representing issues that girls are going through. Barbie never shows real world problems--she's never been abused, drank too much, or been sexually assaulted. Barbie never ages, doesn't gain weight, doesn't commit crime and doesn't fall into depression. Barbie has never had an eating disorder, depression, or anxiety. She's perfect--and not realistic. Recently, a woman spent $80,000 on plastic surgery to look like Barbie and she's absolutely terrifying. Isn't it time that Barbie begins to look more like the rest of the world's female population?

As my regular followers (that is, I am hoping to have ANY regular followers) you know I write about 99% of these posts about women rights. Here is an important one. And I want you to do EVERYTHING on the list below. Ready, set, read:

We've all seen the news. A young woman brutally attacked and killed by a gang of men in Delhi. Youth here in the US making callous comments that have since gone viral about the rape of a young woman in their town. One in three women will be raped or attacked in her lifetime. That is completely unacceptable.

This is an issue that affects us all. It's time to end this global epidemic. Each of us can make a difference. Whether you've got just a few minutes, or are eager to hit the streets, it's easy to get involved.

1. Rally with us on February 14! Rally with GlobalSolutions.org and One Billion Rising, a movement that is bringing hundreds of thousands of concerned global citizens all over the world to rally, dance and raise our voices to declare that we will not tolerate violence against women anymore. Join us at the DC rally or start one in your own community. We have signs you can print out, Global Citizen t-shirts, CEDAW petition forms, info on rally locations and more. Contact (ME!) Arielle Weaver, to find out more.