October 9, 2024
Oakland, CA — Today the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence (API-GBV) celebrates 40 years since the passage of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA). Administered by the Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services (OFVPS), FVPSA stands as a critical source of support for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) and their families. We are grateful for the support FVPSA has provided to our work, Asian/Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) survivors and their communities, and the movement to end gender-based violence.
FVPSA funding has provided support and services to approximately 1.3 million survivors in areas of need that have been identified by survivors. According to API-GBV’s “2023 Community Based Organizations Needs Assessment”, economic stability and housing were the top two concerns for AA and NHPI survivors that intersect with gender-based violence, with mental health and health care access also being in the top ten concerns. Since its start in 1984, FVPSA funding has been a vital resource, providing lifesaving, flexible funding for survivors that can be used for housing, healthcare, child support, and more, to match the needs identified by survivors.
“API-GBV was founded in 2000 due to FVPSA funding and has been grateful to OFVPS for their support and guidance. Through this funding, we have been able to work deeply with AA and NHPI organizations to uplift the needs identified by their communities. This work could not be done without the integral support provided by OFVPS,” said Monica Khant, CEO for API-GBV.
In addition to funding resources for survivors, FVPSA also supports programs, training, and services such as GBV community advocacy, education, and prevention. FVPSA funds over 1,500 domestic violence shelters and programs, including those that provide culturally specific services to AA and NHPI survivors, and a network of state coalitions and national resource centers. Through FVPSA funding, organizations are able to increase their capacities, provide survivor-centered collaborative trainings, technical assistance, resources and other services.
As we turn to the future of our movement, we look forward to further commitment from OFVPS to culturally specific services. By expanding support and increasing resources to culturally specific GBV organizations and resource centers, FVPSA will be able to more effectively reach marginalized communities impacted by gender-based violence. API-GBV is grateful for the support OFVPS and FVPSA have provided to AA and NHPI survivors over the past 40 years and we are excited for FVPSA’s impact in the future as we collectively work to end gender-based violence.
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About Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence
The Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence (API-GBV) is a culturally specific national resource center on domestic violence, sexual violence, trafficking, and other forms of gender-based violence in Asian/Asian-American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) communities. API-GBV envisions a world free of gender-based violence for communities with equal opportunities for all to thrive. For more information about API-GBV, visit stg-apigbv-updates.kinsta.cloud.