Director Rosie Hidalgo Delivers Remarks on the 30th Anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

Opening Remarks

Good morning, everyone, and welcome! I'm Rosie Hidalgo, Director of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), and it's truly an honor to be gathered here with all of you in the Great Hall of the Justice Department and with all of you participating online.

Thank you all for joining us today. Each one of you has been a crucial part of the remarkable 30-year journey of championing and implementing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and advancing our nation's commitment to prevent and end domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, stalking and other connected forms of gender-based violence.

Your collective efforts have led to this pivotal milestone, and it's an honor to welcome you as we reflect on our unwavering commitment and dedication to increasing access to justice, safety and healing for all survivors, and fostering safe communities free from violence.

We have an exciting and full agenda ahead.

Throughout the day, we'll explore VAWA's origins, the critical importance of centering survivors in all that we do and the importance of enhancing collaboration, including through advancing a coordinated federal response.

None of this would be possible without your hard work and commitment. Today is about you - the incredible survivors, advocates and partners who have made this progress possible and who are committed to continuing to advance these goals.

We are fortunate to be joined by some very special guests this morning. Jen Klein, Director of the Gender Policy Council from the White House is here with us. We are also honored to be joined by our Justice Department leadership: Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Ben Mizer, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco and the Attorney General of the United States, Merrick Garland, whom I am now pleased to introduce.

Attorney General Garland is entrusted with the tremendous responsibility of safeguarding our nation, and we are deeply grateful for his unwavering support of OVW's mission and initiatives.

Thank you again for being here, and please join me in welcoming Attorney General Garland.

Closing Remarks

As we come to the close of today's event, I want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for being here, either in person or online. Thank you for your dedication, and for your continued commitment to the work we do together. Over the past 30 years, VAWA transformed how we respond to gender-based violence, but we know our work is far from finished.

As we heard from the Attorney General, for 30 years VAWA has been a living and evolving piece of legislation, centered on the lived realities and leadership of survivors. Each reauthorization has provided an opportunity to identify what works well that can be scaled, what laws and grant programs can be expanded and enhanced and how we can identify and address gaps and barriers.

Attorney General Garland mentioned that, since the establishment of OVW in 1995 as a result of VAWA, OVW has awarded over $11 billion in grants. These have gone to a diverse array of grantees - including local, state, territorial and Tribal governments, courts, community-based organizations, educational institutions and coalitions across all U.S. states, territories and numerous Tribal nations. These funds provide critical support for communities to address gender-based violence by fostering essential partnerships among victim services organizations, law enforcement, prosecutors, community-based organizations, health care providers and other key stakeholders who play a crucial role in supporting survivors and holding offenders accountable.

We look forward to implementing many new grant programs that were established through the 2022 reauthorization of VAWA and are being launched this year. We also remain committed to enhancing the Coordinated Community Response at the local, state, Tribal and federal levels. The Coordinated Community Response is a cornerstone of VAWA, ensuring that all survivors have multiple pathways to safety, services, healing and justice that are survivor-centered and trauma-informed.

The journey forward requires all of us - advocates, community leaders, policymakers, those who work within our justice systems and survivors - to continue pushing for change, holding ourselves accountable, and ensuring that our responses evolve to meet the needs of all survivors. We must remain steadfast in our mission to create a world where every survivor can access safety, services, justice and healing, and where we can prevent these harms and crimes from happening in the first place.

As we leave today, I encourage each of you to use the energy and inspiration from these discussions to strengthen the partnerships that are the foundation of VAWA's success. Let's build on the progress we've made, challenge ourselves to do more to advance our nation's commitment to prevent and address gender-based violence, and ensure that we never lose sight of the survivors whose voices have guided and continue to guide this work.

Thank you again for your tireless efforts and your unwavering commitment. Together, we can continue to move forward, ensuring that VAWA remains a beacon of hope and a pathway to justice and well-being for all survivors and that we can foster communities where everyone can thrive free from violence.

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