Action Alert: Federal Grant Freeze Threatens Vital Services for Victims and Survivors of Gender-Based Violence
Jewish Women International (JWI) is deeply concerned about the recently issued memorandum mandating a freeze on all federal grants while the Administration reviews grants for alignment with Administration priorities. This action violates the constitutional separation of powers and jeopardizes critical funding that supports programs providing life-saving services to victims and survivors of gender-based violence.
Federal grants are the lifeblood of initiatives addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking at the federal, state, tribal, and local levels. Programs funded by these grants ensure survivors receive shelter, counseling, legal assistance, and other essential services. Federal grants also fund law enforcement responses to gender-based violence. Millions of victims and survivors receive direct victim services funded by federal grants annually. Victims and survivors also rely on other federal programs such as food and housing assistance to help them reestablish stability after experiencing gender-based violence. These programs save lives, empower individuals to rebuild after experiencing trauma, and hold people who perpetrate violence accountable.
Without immediate action, victim service organizations across the country may have to cut services, lay off staff, or even close entirely, denying critical services to their communities. Members of Congress have a responsibility to their constituents to speak up!
Take Action Now:
Click here to contact your members of Congress and demand that they speak out against this harmful freeze, which also attempts to usurp Congress’s power of the purse. Personalize the email template to ensure your members of Congress understand how this freeze will impact your community.
Share this alert on social media to raise awareness about the devastating impact this action will have on survivors and service providers.
Support local programs by donating or volunteering to help offset the funding gap created by this freeze.
Victims and survivors of gender-based violence cannot wait. Lives and futures depend on these programs. Let’s stand together to protect them. Together, we can ensure that survivors receive the support they need and deserve.
JWI is the leading Jewish organization championing women and girls by preventing domestic violence and sexual abuse, addressing the intersection of domestic violence and gun violence, building pathways to long-term economic security, and strengthening access to every level of leadership in our communities, workplaces, and country.