KENTUCKY — According to worldpopulationreview.com, Kentucky has the highest domestic violence statistics in the United States, with 45.3% of women and 35.5% of men having experienced domestic violence.

In a single day in 2019, Kentucky's domestic violence programs served 1,420 adults and child survivors, while another 128 requests went unmet due to a lack of resources.

Joni Jenkins was elected in 1995 to serve as State Representative for Kentucky’s 44th house district, which includes Shively, Kentucky, in Jefferson County.

In 2019, Jenkins was elected as the first woman leader of the Kentucky Democratic House Caucus and reelected to that position in 2020.

During her time in state government, Jenkins has advocated for and championed legislation to address domestic violence issues and prevent violence against women and children.

"As someone who started part of their career in working at the Center for Women and Families in Louisville, which provides services to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and dating violence, it's unfortunate that we still have to have a month to bring awareness to this very important issue facing Kentucky as both men and women. But it's a time for us to think about survivors, it's about, it's time for us to think about how we can better provide for survivors and how we can prevent this terrible crime from happening," explained Jenkins