The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is the major federal response to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking (“the four crimes”).

After years of working ceaselessly with allies across the country to build a world in which women can live safely and thrive, Jewish Women International (JWI) – the leading Jewish organization working to end gender-based violence – celebrates the historic passage of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2022.  

This landmark bill maintains existing protections while also expanding VAWA to address persistent gaps in the current law. Despite being narrower than the initial House passed bill, it is survivor-centered and ground-breaking in many ways – including many historic victories that will prevent violence and increase access to services, safety, and justice. 

JWI is elated by the swift passage of VAWA and appreciates President Biden, VAWA’s original sponsor, signing it into law.

JWI CEO Meredith Jacobs issues the following statement: 

"The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2022 does so much to address the gaps and fill the needs felt by women and girls nationwide. It is by far the most significant reauthorization of VAWA to date and JWI is proud to be part of the coalitions that helped bring it to bear.  

Ending violence against women must be a national priority. When a woman is not safe, her home, her workplace, her community, is not safe. The ripple effects of the violence and trauma are deeply felt by her children and everyone in its wake. Far too often, we look at mass shootings, homelessness, and incarceration of survivors and find at the center violence against women.

For JWI, VAWA is personal — it has been for forty years — since one of our members was shot and killed by her estranged husband. That horrific event drives our mission. We have worked to bring the voice of the Jewish community into the many reauthorization efforts, but this is legislation desperately needed by every person, regardless of faith.  

As an organization working to ensure the safety of all survivors, we applaud VAWA’s reauthorization and look forward to the Violence Against Women Act of 2022 being signed into law by President Biden.”

The Stats

  • While the four crimes have decreased significantly since 1994 when VAWA was first passed, rates of violence are still far too high

  • One in five women and one in 59 men are raped in their lifetimes

  • One in four women and one in seven men experience severe physical abuse by an intimate partner in their lifetimes

  • One in six women and one in nineteen men experience stalking in their lifetimes

  • More than 80% of Native American and Alaskan Native women will be a victim of intimate partner violence, sexual violence, or stalking, often by non-tribal members

The Background

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is a landmark piece of legislation that improves criminal justice and community-based responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking in the United States.

Every time VAWA has been reauthorized, it has been strengthened based on the needs of survivors.

VAWA has provided over $7 billion in grants in the 25 years.

  • Training for law enforcement, prosecutors, judges

  • Services for victims and survivors

  • Prevention programs

JWI’s Advocacy

For decades, JWI has been a leader advocating for improvements to the Violence Against Women Act. JWI is a Steering Committee member of the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (NTF) and brings the power of the faith community together to advocate on behalf of VAWA through our convening of the Interfaith Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. Since VAWA’s authorization lapsed in 2019, JWI has written op-eds, spoken on podcasts, educated the field via webinars, and brought hundreds of our members and coalition partners to meetings on the Hill to advocate on behalf of a strong reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.  

Critical Improvements in the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2022 (S.3623)

  • No rollbacks from protections in previously passed versions of VAWA.

  • Prevention – Increases funding for programs that promote healthy relationships and reduce gender-based violence.

  • LGBTQ+ – Authorizes a new grant to provide community-specific services for LGBT victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.

  • Tribal – Promotes safety for victims of violence on tribal lands: ensuring non-Indian perpetrators who commit sexual assault, stalking, child abuse, and trafficking on tribal lands are held accountable.

  • Underserved and Culturally Specific Communities – Invests in culturally specific programs, services, and responses and increases funding authorization to expand access to services in high demand across all underserved populations.

  • Housing – Enhances the compliance and enforcement of existing VAWA housing protections and improves the VAWA transitional housing program.

  • Economic Justice – Expands the scope of the National Resource Center on Workplace Responses to Assist Victims of Domestic and Sexual Violence to include survivors of sexual harassment and increases appropriations to support expanded scope as well as mandates a government study and subsequent report to Congress on barriers to survivor’s economic access.

  • Criminal Justice – Defines restorative justice, and creates a new community-based program to support training and programs to provide non-carceral accountability for survivors who seek such approaches.

  • Firearms – Provides tools to ensure adjudicated abusers who are prohibited from possessing firearms do not acquire new ones.

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