October 02, 2015
Judge Peggy Harris Walker named 2015 ‘Gender Justice Award’ recipient
ATHENS - The Georgia Commission on Family Violence (GCFV) honored Douglas County Juvenile Court Judge Peggy Harris Walker with the 2015 “Gender Justice Award” during the commission’s annual family violence conference.
Walker, who is also the past president of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, says that her past experiences have given her a unique perspective in the fight to end domestic violence. "Having a leadership role in working to end family violence gave me the opportunity to face the ghosts of family violence. Those ghosts include being a child who witnessed family violence; being a protective sister who intervened to stop family violence against my younger sister; representing victims, perpetrators and children in family violence cases as an attorney; and hearing family violence cases as a judge. I learned to advocate for sound policy, adequate resources, educated stakeholders and a caring system," said Judge Walker.
The Gender Justice Award is presented to leaders in social justice who work for the betterment of women in Georgia. Past recipients have increased safety for victims and survivors of domestic violence, enhanced accountability of batterers, and made systemic changes to laws in Georgia – all in order to eliminate gender inequality.
"We are pleased to present this award to Judge Peggy Walker. Her dedication to ending Family Violence in Georgia is inspiring and motivates those around her to strive for a Georgia where everyone is safe in their homes,” said GCFV Executive Director Jennifer Thomas.
This is the commission’s twenty-first annual family violence conference. The conference was held at the Classic Center in Athens, Georgia. The theme of this year’s conference was Addressing Domestic Violence in the 21st Century: Where do we go from here? Over 350 local and national community stakeholders including: judges, prosecutors, law enforcement, advocates, survivors, faith leaders, counselors and community members participated in the event.
The Georgia Commission on Family Violence was created in 1992 by the Georgia General Assembly. The Commission is charged with the development of a comprehensive state plan for ending family violence in Georgia.