As more and more of President Trump’s bills get fleshed out and more information is provided, more groups are doing their best to stand against some of the civil rights violations that are happening. On June 12, the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) issued new funding conditions. OVW manages federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) funding for nonprofit organizations engaged in supporting and preventing domestic violence (DV). The new criteria for certifications include:
• Not violating federal law by supporting
undocumented immigrants.
• Not prioritizing initiatives that prioritize
undocumented immigrants for services and
support.
• Recognizing only two sexes: women who are
biologically female and men who are biologi-
cally male, and not promoting gender ideology
• Recognizing domestic violence as a criminal
offense and not promoting activities that frame
DV as a systemic social justice issue
• Prioritizing programs that collaborate with
law enforcement
• Funds cannot be used for generic community
engagement, economic development, or
research projects.
Grantees of VAWA funds must now submit letters periodically certifying that they comply with anti-DEI measures. Congress has approved VAWA funding for the past 31 years, largely in a bipartisan manner.
In a Feb. 5 memo, Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that the Justice Department will “aggressively investigate organizations that continue illegal DEI or DEIA preferences.” This comes on the heels of Trump issuing an executive order effectively ending diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA, formerly DEI) initiatives at all levels of the federal government.
17 organizations that support victims and survivors of domestic violence have jointly filed a lawsuit against US Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Justice Department, saying that new certification requirements impair their ability to provide services to all who need them.
”They must choose between forgoing funding essential to their ability to fulfill their missions or accept and certify compliance with conditions that are in tension with their statutory duties and at odds with their missions and values,” stated the organizations in their lawsuit.
If they lose VAWA funding, many nonprofit organizations say they will have to cut programs and staff, drastically reducing their abilities to provide services and support to victims and survivors of domestic violence.
“Instead of discriminating against survivors for their gender identity and immigration status, OVW grants should open the way to safety, healing, and services for every one of the millions of Californians looking for help during the most dangerous and traumatic times of their lives,” said Krista Colón, Executive Director of the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence. The CPEDV is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
“With the need for services already far outpacing available resources, programs deserve funding that makes it easier to do their work, not harder. And yet, these grant conditions have stoked fear and uncertainty among advocates, who now run the risk of harsh penalties unless they promise to ignore survivors experiencing abuse,” said Colón.
According to the Break the Cycle website, the report highlighted that in the United States, nearly 1 in 2 women and more than 2 in 5 men reported experiencing intimate partner violence at some point in their lifetime. 1 in 4 men in the United States have endured severe physical violence from an intimate partner. Over 47 percent of women have encountered contact sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime.
