Verizon Wireless will fund a first of its kind program for battered women in Kentucky.
The University of Kentucky has announced Verizon Wireless will fund an inaugural scholarship established by the center for research on violence against women.
Verizon Wireless donated $100,000 to create the Women's Empowerment Scholarship Program. It is designed to help women get the education needed to become more self-sufficient and escape abusive relationships. Experts say this lack of self-sufficiency keeps many women in abusive homes.
Carol Jordan, the director for UK's Center For Research On Violence Against Women, said the following: "When they try to flee violence, as a result they don't have a robust bank account to help them nor do they have a strong work history that will help them secure a well-paying job. They are in effect trapped. They can choose to stay in violence, but at least their children are fed; or they can flee and expose their children to the great risks associated with poverty."
The goal is to have five scholarships available as part of the Women's Empowerment Scholarship Program.
