U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday held a high-profile White House event against domestic violence, as his Democrats strive to get women out to vote in next week's mid-term elections.

U.S. President Barack Obama delivers remarks during a Domestic Violence Awareness Month event in the East Room of the White House in Washington D.C., capital of the United States, Oct. 27, 2010. The event highlighted coordination and cooperation across the entire government to protect victims of domestic and sexual violence and enable survivors to break the cycle of abuse. [Zhang Jun/Xinhua]

The event highlights the administration's "new, coordinated effort to protect victims and break the cycle of abuse," and Obama said he is speaking not only as a President, but also as a son, a husband, and the father of two daughters.

"Domestic violence was for far too long seen as a lesser offense," Obama said. "As a consequence, abuse could go on for years. In many cases, this violence would only end with the death of a woman or a child."

"It's not acceptable," Obama said. He directed attention to the administration's efforts in helping the victims of violence to overcome the financial barriers, to connect survivors with jobs, to help them save, to make it easier for them to rebuild their credit, "to make sure that no one has to choose between a violent home and no home at all."

He also said the Department of Housing and Urban Development is releasing new rules to prevent the victims of domestic violence from being evicted or denied assisted housing because a crime was committed against them, and the Justice Department is releasing new tools and best practice to judges, advocates, and law enforcement to help ensure that protective orders are issued and enforced.

The event is held days ahead of the Nov. 2 mid-term elections, in which the Democrats are struggling. Women's votes are viewed essential for the president's party, but polls show women are not very enthused about going out to vote.