Director Rosie Hidalgo Delivers Remarks at the National Organization for Victim Advocacy 50th Annual Training Event

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

Good morning! I want to extend my thanks to the National Organization for Victim Advocacy (NOVA) for bringing us all together for this 50thannual training event. We are also grateful for the work that NOVA does year-round to provide critical training and technical assistance to grantees of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)'s Campus Grant Program. I also want to extend my deep gratitude to each of you for the work you do every day to support survivors along their unique paths to finding safety, healing and justice.

I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as the Director of OVW and to collaborate with so many dedicated individuals and organizations committed to furthering our nation's vision for ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking and other related forms of gender-based violence.

OVW is tasked with overseeing the implementation of key parts of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), landmark bipartisan legislation first enacted by Congress in 1994. Born from years of grassroots advocacy and the voices and leadership of survivors, VAWA's 1994 enactment was a testament to the power of collective action in shaping public policy and setting a vision for our nation to advance a society that does not tolerate abuse of any kind.

The hallmark of VAWA is a coordinated community response, which seeks to bring together agencies and community partners across many disciplines to address the needs of survivors. Because survivors' lives do not exist in silos, it is critical that no individual or entity operates in a silo and that we all work together to prevent and effectively address gender-based violence.

OVW's grant programs help grantees implement trauma-informed and survivor-centered services in their communities as they improve access for individuals with disabilities, enhance services in rural communities, increase the capacity of community-based organizations that primarily focus on historically marginalized or underserved populations, address elder abuse, reduce gender-based violence on college campuses - an effort NOVA supports by providing training and technical assistance on developing a robust coordinated community response on campuses and supporting culturally specific student populations - and more.

At OVW, equity is viewed as an essential component of ending sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking, which is why we have made advancing equity and supporting Tribal sovereignty a core programmatic priority that cuts across all grant programs. Our grant programs seek to improve outreach, services, civil and criminal justice responses, prevention and support for survivors from historically marginalized and underserved communities, particularly those facing disproportionate rates or impacts of violence and multiple barriers to services, justice and safety. And importantly, OVW funds programs that take a strengths-based approach to increasing access to services and reducing additional barriers that survivors from underserved communities face.

We know that there is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to serving survivors, and we recognize that victim advocates play a vital role in ensuring survivors are able to access survivor-centered and trauma-informed services that are tailored to their unique needs. We also recognize that victim advocates are critically important messengers in their communities - ensuring that their community partners are aware of both the barriers that survivors encounter and the resources that can help them access safety and justice.

To that end, I would like to highlight some of the new programs and protections in the 2022 reauthorization of VAWA that respond to emerging issues highlighted by survivors and advocates.

We recognize that economic security and access to safe and affordable housing are critical needs that confront many survivors, and that often undermine their efforts to seek safety, healing and stability. Just two weeks ago, we released a solicitation for a new grant program focused on flexible financial support to address the economic needs of survivors. This program will increase flexibility for victim service providers to meet the unique needs of survivors - whether it is a month of rent, helping them purchase tires for their car to get to work or helping put food on the table for their children while they are searching for a job.

To advance protections for survivors of technology-facilitated gender-based violence, OVW has launched two new grant programs that will increase national training and technical assistance, as well as provide resources for law enforcement, prosecutors and victim service providers to support victims of cybercrimes. Additionally, the Justice Department's Office for Victims of Crime is funding the first-ever national helpline for survivors of image-based sexual abuse, which will expand support to victims of the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, including sextortion and deepfake intimate images.

OVW also recently awarded three grants that support national training and technical assistance for restorative practices, and we anticipate selecting up to 15 sites as part of a new restorative practices pilot program that was included in the 2022 VAWA reauthorization. This initiative also includes robust funding for evaluation and for national training and technical assistance so that we can ensure that these programs are trauma-informed and focused on victim safety and so that we can continue to learn how to expand the range of options for survivors.

As we prepare to commemorate the 30th anniversary of VAWA this September, it is an opportunity for all of us to collectively reflect on the substantial progress that has been made - but also how much further we have to go. There have been significant paradigm shifts in society's perceptions of gender-based violence and our responses to it, but many survivors still encounter significant challenges navigating complex systems and accessing critical resources and support.

Addressing these gaps and barriers requires consistent, long-term coordination, which is why just last year the White House launched the first-ever U.S. National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, with the collaboration of more than 15 federal agencies. The plan advances a whole-of-government approach to preventing and ending gender-based violence - which we refer to as a federal coordinated community response - and it acts as a blueprint that builds on the lessons learned and achievements made through the efforts of survivors, advocates and others in the field.

And as we move forward, we must continue to amplify the voices and leadership of survivors - work you all do every day - to advance a whole-of-society approach that continues to lift these issues out of the shadows, support survivors and hold offenders accountable. It is only together that we can build a world that affirms the dignity, rights and humanity of every individual, a world where gender-based violence is not tolerated, and a world where healing and justice are accessible to all. Thank you.

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