Former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.) brought the message that gun violence is a women's issue earlier this week, declaring at an Iowa domestic violence event that "dangerous people with guns are a threat to women.” “Women can lead the way," she added. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and prominent women such as Giffords, Hillary Clinton and Atlanta "Real Housewife" NeNe Leakes have used their platforms to bring attention to the epidemic that killed about 1,500 American women in 2012, according to the most recent analysis by the Violence Policy Center.