As part of the new administration's planned budget overhaul, the Trump team plans to cut funding for some crucial government-funded programs, reports The Hill. Among those that may be slashed is the relatively small — yet essential — group of 25 grant programs set up by the 1994 Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which help women who are survivors of violence.
These grants help states implement programs that are aimed at preventing all kinds of violence against women, including sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking. But, as Ed Chung, vice president of criminal justice reform at the Center for American Progress, tells Broadly, that also includes programs that provide survivors of violence with crucial resources, such as legal assistance and housing.
"Eliminating the Violence Against Women Grants is a clear and direct attack on women," said Sung Yeon Choimorrow, interim executive director of National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, in a statement. “This move would particularly harm Asian American and Pacific Islander women and other women of color, as well as immigrant and LGBTQ communities. These women experience disproportionate rates of violence, and they face discrimination when when they seek support services following violent experiences."
Others have noted how troubling this move would be coming from a president who has dismissed women when they've come forward with stories of sexual assault about him. “A man with a well-documented history of sexually assaulting women is [taking] over the federal government, so it is sadly not surprising that he is gutting programs vital to protecting women from violence,” said Nita Chaudhary, one of the founders of women's rights advocacy group UltraViolet, in a statement. “With these cuts, Trump is also making it harder for law enforcement to protect women from predators like himself and members of his senior staff.”
However, the grants haven't been cut yet. And we're still short on actual, concrete plans for Trump's budget. So although this fight isn't over, feel free to freak out — in constructive ways, of course.
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