VAWA Transformed Domestic Violence Services but Providers Face New Challenges

This month marks a significant milestone—the 30th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). President Biden, then a senator, introduced the legislation in 1990, and it was signed into law in 1994.

It’s hard to imagine what the social landscape was like back then, but Lisa Wolfklain, CORA’s First Board Chair, describes the years before VAWA compared to now as “Night and Day.” She shared that at the time, domestic violence was viewed as a “private matter” and the legal system usually only became involved if there were weapons or if the victim had been killed.

Though CORA had been supporting survivors of domestic violence for 15 years prior to VAWA’s enactment, advocacy for providing aid was often challenging because there wasn’t helpful legislation in place on how to address domestic violence.

After VAWA’s enactment, it became clear to those in the movement against domestic violence that the legislation was so powerful because it formalized things that many had been striving toward for years:

“VAWA provides federal resources to support comprehensive responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. This funding supports crucial programming—from prevention to criminal investigation and prosecution, safe housing, civil legal assistance and more—so that survivors can escape and overcome the violence they’ve suffered.”

–Melissa Gibbs, Esq., Senior Manager of Legal Services at CORA

With legislation and guidelines in place specifically to prevent and address domestic violence, the broader community suddenly had a better sense of how to respond to the issue. According to a recent White House fact sheet, “Between 1993 and 2022, annual domestic violence rates dropped by 67%,” a true testament to VAWA’s success and the community’s awareness.

With broader awareness, understanding, and support, over the years CORA has been able to expand its services for survivors of domestic violence, where once only a hotline and safe house were available. Today, survivors and their children can receive free and confidential legal and mental health services at CORA, and a robust set of prevention and education programs are available for the community.

As we reflect on the immense progress made, we at CORA encourage the community to recommit to the movement against domestic violence, especially now when critical funding for survivors is in jeopardy.

Just last year, victims of crime service providers and advocates across the U.S. rallied for a sustainable fix to the growing problem of diminishing Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding. Over the past 5 years this fund has decreased, and now every year organizations must scramble to make up for losses. If there isn’t a fix soon, some organizations will have no choice but to cut critical services that save lives. Some organizations may not be able to stay afloat at all, and survivors in crisis will be left with nowhere to turn.