Director Rosie Hidalgo delivered remarks at the National Organization for Victim Advocacy (NOVA) 50th Annual Training Event on July 30, 2024. She expressed gratitude to NOVA for their year-round work in providing 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," Hidalgo said.
Hidalgo highlighted her role as Director of OVW and her collaboration with individuals and organizations dedicated to ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and other forms of gender-based violence. She emphasized OVW's responsibility in implementing key parts of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), landmark bipartisan legislation first enacted by Congress in 1994.
"The hallmark of VAWA is a coordinated community response," she noted, stressing the importance of collective action among agencies and community partners across various disciplines.
Hidalgo detailed how OVW’s grant programs help implement trauma-informed and survivor-centered services in communities. These programs aim to improve access for individuals with disabilities, enhance services in rural areas, increase capacity for community-based organizations focusing on historically marginalized populations, address elder abuse, reduce gender-based violence on college campuses, and more.
"At OVW, equity is viewed as an essential component of ending sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking," she stated. The organization prioritizes advancing equity and supporting Tribal sovereignty across all grant programs.
She acknowledged that there is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to serving survivors and recognized victim advocates' vital role in ensuring survivors access tailored services. Hidalgo also highlighted new programs and protections in the 2022 reauthorization of VAWA addressing economic security needs and technology-facilitated gender-based violence.
"We recognize that economic security and access to safe and affordable housing are critical needs that confront many survivors," she said. A new grant program focuses on flexible financial support for survivors' economic needs.
To combat technology-facilitated gender-based violence, OVW has launched two new grant programs aimed at increasing national training and technical assistance while providing resources for law enforcement, prosecutors, and victim service providers. Additionally, the Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime funds a national helpline for survivors of image-based sexual abuse.
OVW recently awarded grants supporting national training for restorative practices as part of a new pilot program included in the 2022 VAWA reauthorization. This initiative includes funding for evaluation to ensure these programs are trauma-informed.
As VAWA approaches its 30th anniversary this September, Hidalgo reflected on progress made but acknowledged ongoing challenges faced by survivors navigating complex systems. Addressing these gaps requires consistent coordination; hence last year’s launch of the U.S. National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence by the White House involving over 15 federal agencies.
"And as we move forward," Hidalgo concluded, "we must continue to amplify the voices and leadership of survivors... It is only together that we can build a world that affirms the dignity, rights and humanity of every individual."