A Message From OVW Acting Director Catherine Pierce

Dear Friends,

As you probably know, the Senate confirmed President Obama’s nomination of Judge Susan B. Carbon as Director of the Office on Violence Against Women on February 11, 2010.  Please join us in warmly welcoming her to the Department of Justice, as she officially assumes her duties tomorrow, April 2, 2010.  You can read Attorney General Eric Holder’s statement on her confirmation here.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month

OVW is proud to commemorate April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month alongside advocates throughout the country who are transforming lives.  We know the Department cannot do this work alone, and we stand committed to those who are doing this critical work every day. 

The numbers tell a story we cannot ignore. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in the United States, individuals age 12 or older experienced an estimated 222,000 rapes or sexual assaults in 2008.  Research indicates that, over the course of their lifetimes, 18 percent of women in this country are raped. 

During this month, we take strength and inspiration from the work of advocates around the country who serve as a bridge to recovery and encourage survivors of sexual violence to raise their voices.  The strength and the belief you have in survivors of sexual violence, is much of what makes the work we do at OVW worthwhile – and I am proud to say that we are committed to standing with you and supporting you in your efforts, locally and nationally - and to refocusing our own efforts to address sexual assault more effectively.  Ending sexual violence is and will remain a priority for the Office on Violence Against Women, the Department of Justice and for the entire Administration.

The Attorney General’s Children Exposed to Violence Demonstration Program

The Department of Justice announced yesterday more than $5 million in available funds to address the high incidence of American children’s exposure to violence. The Department has made these funds available through six grant solicitations targeting planning, outreach, research, and best practices.  This announcement includes the Attorney General's Children Exposed to Violence Demonstration Program and is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing commitment to provide leadership and federal assistance to reduce the incidence and impact of children’s exposure to violence across the country.   Solicitations and funding opportunities can be found here: http://www.ojp.gov/funding/solicitations.htm. Read More.

Fiscal Year 2009 Grantees

We are pleased to announce that the list of Fiscal Year 2009 grantees is now available on OVW’s our website, sorted by OVW program and state or territory.  In Fiscal Year 2009 OVW made 1,058 awards totaling more than $611 million!  OVW welcomes our new grantees and looks forward to working with you on your projects in the coming years.

As we prepare to welcome Judge Carbon, I would like to express what a privilege it has been to serve as the Acting Director of OVW these past 15 months.  I will be returning to projects and programs that have for so long been at the heart of our work.  I want to thank our extremely dedicated and talented staff for their hard work and for ensuring that hundreds of grantees in the field receive the programmatic, financial and administrative support from OVW they need to succeed and drive change.  I am most grateful to survivors, advocates, and the criminal justice community who have taught us the direction we need to go.  We are, every one of us, partners in our daily efforts to end violence against women, girls, and all whose lives have been forever changed by sexual and domestic violence.  There is still so much to be done.

With gratitude.

Catherine Pierce
Acting Director