Title: Chapter 6: Promoting Women's Economic Security
Series: Toolkit To End Violence Against Women 
Author: Violence Against Women Office
Published: October 2001
Subject: Promoting Women's Economic Security
21 pages
49,152 bytes

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Chapter 6: Promoting Women's Economic Security

What Communities Can Do To Make a Difference

o Eliminate the economic crisis that often follows victimization. Expand
emergency financial assistance available to victims of sexual assault,
dating and domestic violence, and stalking and their families.

o Implement policies and programs that support both the safety and self-
sufficiency of welfare clients. Provide welfare, job training, and
employment services that are comprehensive, culturally and linguistically
competent, and lead to permanent employment and economic security.

o Promote the safe pursuit of child support whenever possible, and
consider exemptions from paternity and child support requirements in
cases in which risks to the custodial parent or child cannot be overcome.
Design comprehensive strategies that protect victims of sexual assault,
domestic violence, and stalking and protect mothers whose children are at
risk of physical or sexual abuse.

o Increase the responsiveness of housing policies and programs. Develop
comprehensive responses to the housing-related risks facing victims of
sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking.

o Increase the availability of job training programs and educational
opportunities. Invest in job training and education programs for survivors
of sexual assault and domestic violence.

o Enhance the safety and economic security of at-risk families and
survivors of abuse. Support the design, development, evaluation, and
replication of community development initiatives, including
microenterprise development programs.

--------------------------------

Promoting Women's Economic Security

Violence against women raises complex economic issues for individual
women and their children and for the entire nation. Regardless of their
prior economic circumstances, many women are placed at financial risk or
are impoverished after being sexually assaulted, battered, or stalked. Data
from the National Crime Victimization Survey for 1992 through 1996
indicate that during each of these years, more than 42,400 women were
sexually assaulted while they were working or on duty.[1] Regardless of
whether sexual assault occurs in or out of the workplace, it can impair an
employee's work performance, require her to take time away from work,
and undermine her professional life. Young women fleeing child sexual
abuse may drop out of school with limited job skills, lack any source of
income, and become homeless. Mental health services that assist adult
women in recovering from the trauma of child sexual abuse or severe
abuse as an adult are often not available, not routinely covered by health
insurance plans, or too expensive. 

Batterers frequently control their partners by limiting their partner's access
to cash, checking accounts, and transportation and by sabotaging their
educational, job training, and employment opportunities.[2] Some abusers
purposefully damage their partner's credit, which affects the partner's
ability to secure housing and other economic resources. Some victims of
sexual assault and domestic violence become economically vulnerable due
to liability for property damage or because of medical and legal fees;
others lose insurance coverage, housing, or childcare as a result of a
perpetrator's violence. The scarcity of safe, affordable housing for victims
undermines the efforts of many survivors of sexual assault, domestic
violence, and stalking to get away from perpetrators of violence and find
safety. 

Over the past several decades, welfare and other government benefits-
-including subsidized housing programs--have provided financial
assistance and other economic supports to adult survivors of child sexual
abuse and countless battered and abused women. Assistance programs
must consider the safety needs of survivors of sexual and domestic
violence, particularly those from poor and economically at-risk families, to
avoid endangering lives or limiting the ability of survivors to escape from
abusive partners, other abusive family members, or unsafe neighborhoods.

Economic security is the availability of a steady and reliable source of
income to sustain daily living for oneself and one's family and to allow
planning for the future. To increase economic security for victims of
sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking, a coordinated,
interdisciplinary, and multilevel response is required. For more women to
be free from the constraints of violence, access to real economic options
must be available. Such options include affordable and safe housing and
childcare, adequate employment opportunities, financial assistance when
necessary, and comprehensive, affordable health services (including
mental health services). 

Secure the Economic Safety Net: The Need for Community Action

Battered women and sexual assault victims have demonstrated remarkable
courage and resilience in the face of violence. Many women have been
able to rely on family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, or members of their
faith community for the necessary support to survive. Others have
received assistance from community programs that have helped them
recover and find safety. For some women, however, the physical and
emotional trauma of sexual assault or dating or domestic violence, either
as children or adults, is debilitating and longlasting, interfering with
education and employment throughout their lives, as well as daily living.
For too many women and their children, sexual assault and domestic
violence cause, exacerbate, or prolong poverty and homelessness. 

Research and practice have shown that violence against women occurs in
all social groups regardless of age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or
economic circumstances. However, the intersection of poverty, welfare,
and violence against women is particularly important. Most single mothers
live below or close to the poverty level. It is estimated that between 9 and
23 percent of current welfare recipients have experienced domestic
violence in the past 12 months, with upwards of 70 percent reporting
abuse in their lifetime.[3] In one study involving public assistance
recipients, 20 percent of the women surveyed reported being sexually
abused as children and 18 percent reported being physically and sexually
abused while growing up. Significant numbers of adolescents who become
pregnant report being sexually abused as children.[4]

In 1996, Congress adopted the Personal Responsibility and Work
Opportunity Reconciliation Act. The new law replaced the Aid to Families
With Dependent Children program with the Temporary Assistance to
Needy Families (TANF) program and made profound changes to this
nation's welfare system. TANF funds are tied to a new 5-year limit on
federal welfare benefits, tougher work requirements, stricter child support
cooperation provisions, and increased pressure on states to reduce overall
welfare caseloads. Many states adopted even shorter lifetime limits on
welfare receipt or requirements for recipients to stop receiving benefits for
a period of time before they are eligible to reapply. The new federal
welfare rules also allow states to voluntarily adopt a Family Violence
Option under which greater flexibility and protections can be offered
to individual welfare recipients who will be endangered by the new
provisions.[5] Many states, however, have been slow to put in place the
policies, procedures, and training necessary to support women and
children most at risk.[6]

A large number of battered women are interested in establishing paternity
and pursuing child support if they can do so safely.[7] They recognize that
time-limited welfare benefits or the wages from a low-paying job will not
be adequate to support their families. Other women, including some
battered women and the mothers of sexually or physically abused children,
justifiably fear that paternity and child support actions will renew violence
if they alert the abuser to the victim's location, precipitate contact between
the abuser and victim, and/or result in custody or visitation arrangements
dangerous to the mother or child. Flexible responses are needed to help
custodial parents safely pursue child support whenever possible and to
protect them when child support actions would place the mother or child at
risk.[8] 

Another safety net issue is insurance discrimination. Although many states
have adopted legislation to prohibit insurance discrimination against
victims of domestic violence and, less frequently, victims of sexual
assault, such efforts have not reached all states and territories, leaving
many women unprotected. Insurance practices may unfairly deny or limit
these victims' access to insurance or result in higher premiums or
exclusions. These practices penalize and discourage victims from seeking
necessary medical and criminal justice services for fear that information
contained in their court or medical records will be used against them by
insurance companies. They also deter victims from filing necessary and
rightful insurance claims. 

Ensuring that a safety net remains in place for all women who seek escape
from violence requires coordinated attention to a wide range of policy and
practice issues: welfare and other public benefits programs, child support,
childcare, transportation, and insurance.

Enhance All Women's Access to Safe and Affordable Housing 

Without adequate housing options, women often cannot leave an abusive
relationship or unsafe neighborhood. Victims of sexual assault or stalking
by strangers or relatives other than an intimate partner may not qualify for
emergency shelter, housing subsidy programs, or transitional housing
programs designed specifically for victims of abuse by an intimate partner.
Teenage girls who flee child sexual abuse at home or violence in their
dating relationships often are turned away from homeless and domestic
violence shelters due to their status as minors. Many battered women's
shelters and other emergency housing programs limit residents' stays to
only 30 or 60 days because of high demand and funding restrictions.
Women with a substance abuse problem--a problem often directly related
to their victimization--have even fewer options. As a result, these women
often find themselves homeless or in inadequate, unsafe, or unstable
housing conditions. 

A significant number of homeless women have histories of child sexual
abuse[9] or domestic violence.[10] Recent research shows that women
who live in public housing face high rates of violence, particularly by
people they know.[11] In addition to these pressures, recent changes in
public housing policy and programs may place some women dependent on
such housing at additional risk.

This nation is experiencing record-low vacancy rates and rents that are
rising at twice the rate of inflation. More than 5 million families pay more
than 50 percent of their incomes in rent.[12] The wait for a public housing
unit can exceed 2 years. The shortage of affordable housing is particularly
challenging to women survivors of violence who are older and live on
fixed incomes, single women with children, women of color who also face
racial discrimination, and women with low or no incomes.

Communities are urged to place a priority on creating affordable housing
units and upgrading the existing public housing stock. Economic
incentives can be employed to encourage private housing management
companies and public housing authorities to offer safe and affordable
housing to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking.

Invest in Women's Safety and Economic Security: Job Training,
Education, Employment, and Government Benefits

Efforts to ensure equal employment opportunities, job security, and real
economic options for all women will increase a woman's ability to leave
an abusive relationship and unsafe living conditions. Many survivors of
violence risk losing their jobs when they take time off from work to go to
court, move out of a dangerous home, or seek medical, mental health, or
advocacy services. In most states, if a person voluntarily leaves a job for
reasons unrelated to the job, that person is disqualified from receiving
unemployment insurance. Workplace policies and government benefits
programs, such as unemployment and worker's compensation and family
and medical leave, can be better structured to respond to the safety and
economic security needs of survivors of sexual assault and domestic
violence.

Over the past 50 years, women's enrollment in higher education programs
has increased dramatically. Women now account for more than one-half of
all undergraduate students, although women continue to earn fewer
graduate and postgraduate degrees. Studies have found that postsecondary
education increases women's income, improves their self-esteem, increases
their children's educational ambitions, and has a dramatic impact on their
quality of life.[13] Research also shows that women with college and
advanced degrees spend less time on welfare and earn more than women
with a high school education or less.[14] To support women's long-term
economic security, educational opportunities must be enhanced at multiple
levels, including increasing opportunities to earn a general equivalency
diploma (GED), enroll in literacy programs, and obtain a higher education.
Educational programs should be structured to take into account those
students whose histories of child sexual abuse or sexual, dating, or
domestic violence as an adult has affected their educational attainment. 

Long-term economic security is particularly crucial for older women who
are victimized by physical and sexual violence. Because women in later
life may be unemployed, facing discrimination in employment, or living
on fixed incomes, public policies that specifically improve older women's
economic security are needed. 

Outlined below are specific actions communities can take to promote
women's economic security and play a role in ending violence against
women. Community members who will want to consider these
recommendations include community social service agencies, welfare and
child support agencies, state victim compensation programs, and sexual
assault and domestic violence programs; businesses and trade associations
involved in security and communications, such as home security
companies, cellular phone companies, and locksmiths; national, state, and
county bar associations, law school clinics, state judicial systems, and
lawyer's organizations; credit reporting agencies and consumer groups;
state and local law enforcement agencies and state victim compensation
programs; state and local government and childcare provider networks;
insurance industry associations and insurance companies; public and
private housing agencies; and public and private employers, institutions of
higher education, job training and employment programs, and advocacy
groups.

Secure the Economic Safety Net for Victims of Violence Against Women 

1. Eliminate the economic crisis facing many victims of sexual assault,
domestic violence, and stalking by designing and implementing programs
to provide stability to victims and their families immediately following
victimization.

o Create or expand emergency assistance programs to provide funds for
mortgage, security, or rent payments for victims forced to relocate; repairs
and maintenance of property damaged during an attack (including the
replacement of phones and clothes or equipment required for work); the
installation of security systems; and other expenses associated with the
recent victimization. 

o Widely publicize that these funds are available and ensure that they can
be easily and quickly obtained through multiple access points.

o Ensure that survivors of violence have routine access to safe and reliable
transportation to assist them in relocating and obtaining medical and
mental health care, justice system protections, sexual assault and domestic
violence services, and other assistance available in the community. To
respond to the crisis needs of victims, consider providing grants or
low-cost loans to be used for car repair or purchase, bus or subway passes,
or the development or expansion of special transportation.

o Create and adequately fund emergency childcare and respite care
programs that support the survivors' ability to pursue court protections,
secure other emergency services, and stabilize their families after
victimization. Situate these programs in places that are accessible to
necessary crisis intervention and protective services, such as in
courthouses, social services agencies, sexual assault and domestic violence
crisis agencies, and medical and counseling programs.

o Provide emergency sexual assault and domestic violence program
services without restriction to "nonqualified aliens" per order of the U.S.
Attorney General (Attorney General Order Number 2049-96, U.S.
Department of Justice), and work with immigrant and refugee rights
organizations to raise awareness of this policy within immigrant and
refugee communities.

o Authorize state compensation funds to cover expenses related to the
emergency housing, transportation, relocation, childcare, and security
requirements of abused and stalked adults and to cover gaps in worker's
compensation coverage for otherwise eligible victims of sexual assault,
domestic violence, and stalking.

o Consolidate and make readily available information on financial
assistance, housing, health care, and other benefits available to seniors,
and expand advocacy and services networks.

2. Donate security and communications services or underwrite the costs of
security-enhancing products and services for women requesting such
assistance through community-based programs or the courts.

o Increase the number of programs that provide cell phones or e-mail
accounts and cover the costs of phone installation or monthly service
charges for women in ongoing danger. Provide women needing to relocate
or engage in job searches with safe and private access to those accounts.

3. Provide incentives, including technical assistance, for private law firms
and individual attorneys to offer free, low-cost, or sliding scale
representation for women survivors of sexual harassment, sexual assault,
and dating and domestic violence.

o Increase the availability of representation in all areas of civil law,
including divorce, child custody, public benefits, property/real estate, and
landlord/tenant disputes, and help women explore the feasibility of filing
personal injury suits against perpetrators.

4. Design and implement credit policies and programs to help women
survivors recover from damage to their credit caused by an abuser,
establish or reestablish credit in their own names, and protect themselves
against future economic abuse. 

o Protect privacy and confidentiality interests of survivors in all policies
and programs.

5. Explore ways to fully cover the costs of forensic medical exams for
sexual assault victims without seeking reimbursement from the victim or
from any public or private health insurance under which she might
otherwise be covered, and without requiring the victim to report the crime
to any public or private health insurance plans.

o Consider earmarking state, county, and local law enforcement funds;
designating fees and fines; or modifying state victim compensation
program policies and funding priorities to ensure coverage of forensic
medical exam costs.

For related recommendations, see Toolkit chapter "Improving the Justice
System Response."

6. Design and implement welfare policies and practices that enhance both
safety and self-sufficiency for all welfare clients, including victims of
sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking.

o Develop and implement welfare policies and practices that provide for
the following:


--Clear and multilingual notices that fully describe welfare and child
support program services and requirements, any temporary relief from
program requirements that is available, the process to access such
programs and relief, and any rights to appeal adverse decisions.

--Informed, confidential, and voluntary disclosures of past or current
sexual, dating, or domestic violence by applicants and recipients.

--Individualized assessments by trained staff of a client's support needs
and any barriers to participation in training or employment activities,
including past or current abuse.

--Referrals to sexual assault and domestic violence victim services.

--Referrals to other support services, including substance abuse and mental
health services as appropriate, without being inappropriately classified as
mentally disabled. 

--Flexible, individualized, and culturally and linguistically competent
responses to the safety and support needs of each applicant or recipient.

--When appropriate, temporary waivers, exemptions or extensions from
work, time limits, child support cooperation, or other requirements as
allowed under the Family Violence Option and other provisions.

--Face-to-face presanction screenings to determine when noncompliance
with requirements is related to sexual abuse or dating or domestic violence
and a plan to respond if disclosure of abuse occurs during the assessment
process.

--Assurances that the confidentiality of information provided on abuse and
all records containing such information is safeguarded.

o Provide public assistance to otherwise eligible immigrants, refugees, and
persons seeking asylum who are survivors of sexual assault, dating and
domestic violence, and stalking regardless of their legal status. 

--Ensure the ongoing availability of benefits necessary to protect life and
provide safety, such as emergency shelter, food assistance, and crisis
counseling, to immigrants regardless of their immigrant status. 

--Note that battered immigrants who are eligible for relief under the
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and refugees and persons seeking
asylum also may be eligible to receive public assistance. 


o Provide multilevel training to welfare intake staff, caseworkers, and
supervisors, including

--Basic training for all agency personnel on violence against women and
its implications for families seeking welfare benefits.

--Advanced training for caseworkers and supervisors on the state's policies
and procedures and other related responses to violence against women.

--Periodic inservice training on new research and program developments,
including policy revisions.

o Provide training for all employment, training, and welfare-to-work
placement staff and contractors.

--Incorporate information about violence against women, including child
sexual abuse, and its impact on women's employment and the types of
educational, employment, mental health services, and/or protections some
women will need to move safely from welfare to work and to sustain
employment.

o Develop formal memorandums of understandings or other agreements
between public welfare, employment, and training agencies and sexual
assault and domestic violence victim advocacy programs.

--Define how referrals of welfare applicants and recipients will occur, the
specific services and support available from each agency for survivors of
abuse, and how ongoing communication and collaboration will be
structured.

--Develop similar agreements between welfare-to-work agencies and
substance abuse and mental health and other social service agencies to
ensure that a comprehensive network of services and supports is available.

o Where available, use TANF surpluses, current TANF block grant funds,
and state Maintenance of Effort (MOE) and welfare-to-work dollars to
expand the services available to victims of sexual assault, dating and
domestic violence, and stalking. 

--Expand the availability of sexual assault and domestic violence services
and mental health and substance abuse services responsive to victims of
sexual assault and dating and domestic violence, including adult survivors
of child sexual abuse who are applying for or receiving public benefits.


--Where allowed, use such funds to expand training and cross training of
welfare and child support staff, employment and training personnel, and
sexual assault and domestic violence program staff. 

7. Help custodial parents to safely establish paternity and pursue child
support whenever possible, and provide exemptions from paternity and
child support requirements only when the safety risks to custodial parents
or children cannot be overcome.

o Develop and disseminate clear and multilingual materials that explain
how the child support system works, including the court's role in the
process and the protections available to custodial or noncustodial parents
who are themselves at risk or whose children are at risk.

o Protect the confidentiality of at-risk custodial parents or their children,
including the use of flags in case files and registries, and minimize or
eliminate any face-to-face contact between the abuser and victim.

o Train all child support, welfare, court, and paternity establishment
program personnel who will come into contact with survivors of sexual
assault, domestic violence, and stalking to identify and discuss child
support issues with custodial and noncustodial parents who are victims of
abuse and interact effectively with abusers.

o Colocate welfare and child support staff, where appropriate, and form
joint working groups to develop and implement policies and protocols that
address safety concerns. 

o During civil or criminal protection order proceedings, inform victims if
and how temporary or permanent child support orders or other orders for
payment of household expenses can be included in ex parte (without
notice to the other party) or temporary orders and final orders.

o Explore mechanisms to address child support, safety, and advocacy
issues within the context of domestic violence court proceedings,
particularly protection order hearings, and other civil and criminal
proceedings in which domestic violence or child abuse concerns have been
raised. 

o Implement statewide Address Confidentiality Programs to enable
survivors to receive child support and other public benefits without
disclosing their home or work addresses or the location of their
children.[15]

o Train all matrimonial, family, and surrogate court judges on the issues of
sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking and their relationship to
divorce, custody, and visitation agreements.

8. Communicate options for safe, affordable childcare available in the
community to victims of domestic violence. 

o Develop and implement policies and procedures responsive to the safety
interests of women and children.

o Train childcare and early childhood program workers to recognize
possible exposure of children to sexual assault or domestic violence, and
make appropriate referrals to services for both mothers and children.

For related recommendations, see Toolkit chapter "Early Intervention and
Prevention with Children and Youth."

Enhance All Women's Access to Safe and Affordable Housing 

9. Review and modify, as necessary, existing housing policies and
programs to increase their responsiveness to the needs of women who
have experienced or are at risk of violence.

o Collaboratively develop and use tools to assess the impact of current and
future national, state, and local housing policies and programs on women's
short- and long-term safety and housing needs. Modify policies and
practices determined to place women in danger or at risk of homelessness.

o Continue to identify how the crime prevention policies of the public
housing authority enhance or compromise housing-related safety for
survivors, and implement solutions to the problems identified in policy
and practice. Of particular concern are crime reduction policies that expose
a victim to the risk of eviction because her partner or ex-partner is violent,
has caused property damage, has threatened other tenants, or has violated
family one-strike policies.

o Design and implement procedures to ensure that victims of sexual
assault, dating or domestic violence, or stalking who need to transfer
between public housing units for safety reasons can do so in a timely
fashion.

o Design and implement policies to ensure that sexual assault or domestic
violence victims who hold joint Section 8 certificates with an abusive
family or household member are able to keep the Section 8 certificate if
they choose to vacate their apartment for safety reasons. 


o Identify and implement strategies to ensure that all women with Section
8 certificates have information about and access to sexual assault and
domestic violence services.

o Identify and remove barriers that may discourage residents from seeking
help concerning violence against women. Of particular concern in the
course of seeking help are the handling of disclosures that might represent
violations of tenancy agreements (for example, information about a
batterer's presence in the apartment) and concerns about confidentiality.

10. Review and modify national, state, and local housing policy, and
explore funding opportunities to increase women's access to safe and
affordable housing.

o Prioritize local housing development policies that support the creation of
affordable housing units. Include nonprofit and for-profit developers,
investors, and lenders in collaborative efforts with community advocates
to ensure that local housing needs are met, especially in suburban
communities with high housing costs and few rental units.

o Encourage commitments to maintain and expand the number of
available affordable housing units to upgrade existing public housing
stock. 

o Implement fair housing laws and regulations to specifically protect
housing subsidy recipients from discrimination based on their source of
income.

o Explore the use of TANF surpluses, current TANF block grant funds,
state MOE, and welfare-to-work dollars to expand the availability of
housing to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking. 

11. Incorporate women's safety and security in the design, development,
management, inspection, and financing of public and private housing.

o Explore economic incentives such as federal loan requirements, tax
policies, and subsidies to encourage private housing management
companies and public housing authorities to develop emergency,
short-term, transitional, and long-term housing for women survivors of
sexual assault and domestic violence.

o Adopt and enforce housing codes and regulations that provide minimum
safety standards for all residential properties, including lighted walkways,
secure doors and entrances, and working pay phones. For larger properties,
include emergency call boxes and screen security officers and all onsite
personnel to see if they have a history of violent behavior. Ensure that
shared laundry facilities or other service areas are well lit and secure.

o Vigorously enforce city ordinances that protect tenants of both
residential and commercial property from sexual assault or abuse by
landlords and other housing personnel. Provide safe ways for tenants to
report abusive managers to landlords.

o Require landlords to be diligent in ensuring the safety of all tenants.

o Educate local government authorities about sexual assault, dating and
domestic violence, and stalking and the need for safe, affordable housing
for victims.

12. Collaboratively develop and implement training and technical
assistance programs specific to violence against women for federal, state,
and local housing agencies, campus housing programs, and nonprofit and
community-based organizations.

o Design and implement cross-training programs that address violence
against women and the housing, safety, and service issues that arise from
such violence.

o Ensure that law school courses and continuing education courses on
housing law, including fair housing and landlord-tenant law, incorporate
information about sexual assault and dating and domestic violence.

Enhance Job Training, Education, and Employment for Women 

13. Expand efforts to ensure a safe work environment for all employees,
including job protection for victims of sexual assault and domestic
violence who are temporarily unable to work or work full time.

14. Provide unemployment benefits, worker's compensation, and family
and medical leave that are responsive to the needs of survivors of sexual
assault, domestic violence, and stalking.

o Consider providing worker's compensation benefits to employees who
are assaulted or harassed in the workplace or during work-related activities
and incur medical or mental health costs as a result of the abuse. 

o Encourage the use of state Family and Medical Leave laws to allow
victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking or their family
members to use leave to address issues related to their victimization.


o Ensure that disclosure of a history of sexual assault, dating or domestic
violence, or stalking shall not be adequate cause for failure to hire,
promote, or terminate an employee.

15. Ensure that the design and implementation of Welfare-to-Work and
related job-training programs are responsive to both the safety and
self-sufficiency needs of victims of violence.

o Include related training information on how current or past sexual or
physical abuse might affect a trainee's participation and success, and
appropriate responses to disclosures of child sexual abuse, or current or
past adult sexual assault, dating or domestic violence, or stalking.

o Implement workplace safety policies and practices to protect participants
in job training programs from stalkers, abusive partners, and other
trainees. 

For related recommendations, see Toolkit chapter "Promoting Safety and
Nonviolence in the Workplace."

16. Provide increased resources to develop job training programs for
women survivors of violence and increase the range of women's
educational opportunities and access to them.

o Foster and support collaboration between educational institutions (e.g.,
literacy and GED programs, vocational schools, community colleges,
other colleges and universities, and adult education programs) and sexual
assault and domestic violence programs. 

o Increase access to safe, affordable, and accessible childcare and access to
transportation for student victims of violence against women.

o Widely disseminate information about college options, application and
selection processes, career mapping, and distance learning opportunities.
Ensure that financial aid information is user-friendly.

o Encourage girls and young women to participate in nontraditional
studies and work, particularly in math, the sciences, computer science,
information technology, and the trades.

17. Expand the capacity of sexual assault and domestic violence programs
to help women achieve greater economic independence.

o Through targeted funding, training, and technical assistance, increase the
ability of advocates to build effective partnerships with training and
employment programs, and provide direct assistance to women seeking to
set and achieve their education and employment goals.

18. Design community economic development programs that support
women's safety, economic self-sufficiency, and long-term economic
security.

o Dedicate funds to support the design, development, evaluation, and
replication of community development initiatives, including
microenterprise development programs, that enhance the safety and
economic security of survivors of abuse and at-risk families. 

Resources

Center for Impact Research (formerly the Taylor Institute)
926 North Wolcott
Chicago, IL 60622
Phone: 773-342-0630
Fax: 773-342-5918
Web site: www.impactresearch.org

The Center for Impact Research (CIR) works toward the elimination of
poverty through grassroots research and poverty solutions crafted in
collaboration with low-income persons, community-based organizations,
and governmental agencies. CIR's publications include several documents
addressing the relationship between poverty and domestic violence as well
as a newsletter that covers developments in the field.

Center for Law and Social Policy
1616 P Street NW., Suite 150
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-328-5140
Fax: 202-328-5195
Web site: www.clasp.org

The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) focuses on increasing
economic security for poor families with children and securing access to
the civil justice system. CLASP efforts include policy advocacy, policy
research, technical assistance, preparation of manuals and guides, training,
conferences, and publications.

Commission on Domestic Violence--Law School Initiative Project

American Bar Association
740 15th Street NW.
Washington, DC 20005-1022
Phone: 202-662-8637
Fax: 202-662-1594
Web site: www.abanet.org/domviol

This American Bar Association Web page provides online links and
resources for people who need counseling following a domestic violence
incident and people who are searching for publications about violence
against women.

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence
6400 Flank Drive, Suite 1300
Harrisburg, PA 17112
Phone: 1-800-537-2238 
TTY: 1-800-553-2508
Fax: 717-545-9456

The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRC) is a valuable
source for information, training, and technical assistance regarding
domestic violence issues. NRC also is a clearinghouse for resources and
statistics that may be used to enhance policies and publications that are in
research stages.

National Sexual Violence Resource Center
123 North Enola Drive
Enola, PA 17025
Phone: 1-877-739-3895
TTY: 717-909-0715
Fax: 717-909-0714
Web site: www.nsvrc.org

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) is a
clearinghouse for resources and research about all forms of sexual
violence and assault. NSVRC works with its partner agency, the
University of Pennsylvania, to provide new policies for establishing sexual
violence interventions and prevention programs. 

Violence Against Women Online Resources
Web site: www.vaw.umn.edu

This Web site provides up-to-date information on interventions to stop
violence against women for professionals in the fields of law, criminal
justice, advocacy, and social service.

Welfare Information Network
Web site: www.welfareinfo.org

This Web site is a clearinghouse for information resources, policy
analysis, and technical assistance on welfare reform.

YWCA of the U.S.A.
350 Fifth Avenue, Third Floor
New York, NY 10118
Phone: 212-273-7800
Web site: www.ywca.org

YWCA's mission--to empower women and girls and eliminate racism--is
the guiding principle for all YWCA child care, shelter, health, fitness, and
social justice programs. YWCA is a leader in violence prevention;
provides shelter and child care services; offers employment training and
placement; oversees sports and physical fitness programs for women and
girls; provides breast cancer referrals, screenings, and education services;
and is a pioneer in the fight for social justice.

Endnotes 

1. Bureau of Justice Statistics (1998). Workplace Violence, 1992-96.
Special Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice. NCJ 168634

2. Raphael, J., and Tolman, R.M. (1997). Trapped By Poverty, Trapped
By Abuse: New Evidence Documenting the Relationship Between
Domestic Violence and Welfare. Chicago, IL/Ann Arbor, MI: Taylor
Institute and University of Michigan Research Development Center on
Poverty, Risk, and Mental Health.

Raphael, J. (1996). Prisoners of Abuse: Domestic Violence and Welfare
Receipt (A Second Report of the Women, Welfare, and Abuse Project).
Chicago, IL: Taylor Institute. 

3. Lyon, E. (2000). Poverty, Welfare, and Abused Women: New Research
and Its Implications. Harrisburg, PA: National Resource Center on
Domestic Violence. 

4. Boyer, D. (1999). "Childhood Sexual Abuse: The Forgotten Issue in
Adolescent Pregnancy and Welfare Reform." In R.A. Brandwein (Ed.),
Battered Women, Children, and Welfare Reform: The Ties that Bind.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, pp. 131-143.

Musick, J.S. (1993). Young, Poor, and Pregnant: The Psychology of
Teenage Motherhood. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. 

5. Temporary Assistance to Needy Families--Final Rule. 45 C.F.R. pt.
260, et al. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (Apr. 10, 1999). See also Federal Register: April 12, 1999
(Volume 64, Number 69), pp. 17719-17931.

6. Raphael, J., and Haennicke, S. (1999). Keeping Battered Women Safe
Through the Welfare-to-Work Journey: How Are We Doing? A Report on
the Implementation of Policies for Battered Women in State Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Programs. Chicago, IL: Taylor
Institute. www.welfareinfo.org

7. Pearson, J., Thoennes, N., and Griswold, E.A. (1999). "Child Support
and Domestic Violence: the Victims Speak Out." Violence Against
Women 5(4): pp. 427-448.

8. Roberts, P. (1999). "Pursuing Child Support for Victims of Domestic
Violence." In R.A. Brandwein (Ed.), Battered Women, Children, and
Welfare Reform: The Ties that Bind. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Publications, pp. 59-78.

Turetsky, V. (1997). Implementing the Family Violence Option: Lessons
from Child Support "Good Cause" Policies. Washington, DC: Center for
Law and Social Policy.

9. Interagency Council on the Homeless (1999). Homelessness: Programs
and the People They Serve (Technical Report). Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development.

10. U.S. Conference of Mayors (1998). A Status Report on Hunger and
Homelessness in America's Cities--1998. Report presented at the 1998
U.S. Conference of Mayors, Washington, DC. 

11. Renzetti, C., and Maier, S. (1999). "Private" Crime in Public Housing:
Fear of Crime and Violent Victimization Among Women Public Housing
Residents. Presented at Trapped by Poverty: Trapped by Abuse
conference, Ann Arbor, MI.

12. Grunwald, M. (1999). "Housing Crunch Worsens for Poor: HUD Aid
No Match for Soaring Rents, Fewer Apartments." The Washington Post,
October 12, p. A1. 

13. Wolfe, L., and Tucker, J. (1999). Getting Smart About Welfare:
Postsecondary Education Is the Most Effective Strategy for
Self-Sufficiency for Low-Income Women. Washington, DC: Center for
Women's Policy Studies.
 
14. Brandwein, R.A., ed. (1999). Battered Women, Children, and Welfare
Reform: The Ties that Bind. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. 

15. For a description of Washington State Address Confidentiality
Program, contact the program at 360-753-2972, or see the
Cooperation/Good Cause Forum Report (HHS/OCSE, 1997).

References 

Addressing Domestic Violence: HUD Programs and Resources--An
Inventory of HUD-Funded Housing Programs. Washington, DC: STOP
Violence Against Women Technical Assistance Project. 1-800-256-5883

Brandwein, R.A. (1996). Family Violence and Welfare Reform: What are
the Links? National Invitational Symposium. Salt Lake City, UT:
University of Utah, School of Social Work. www.welfareinfo.org

Burt, M., Zweig, J., and Schlichter, K. (2000). Strategies for Addressing
the Needs of Domestic Violence Victims within the TANF Program: The
Experience of Seven Counties. Washington, DC: Urban Institute.
www.welfareinfo.org

Correia, A. (2000). Strategies to Expand Battered Women's Economic
Opportunities. Harrisburg, PA: National Resource Center on Domestic
Violence.

Davies, J. (1998). Building Opportunities for Battered Women's Safety
and Self-Sufficiency and Family Violence Protocol Development.
Harrisburg, PA: National Resource Center on Domestic Violence.
www.welfareinfo.org

Davies, J. (2000). Recommendations for Training TANF and Child
Support Enforcement Staff about Domestic Violence. Harrisburg, PA:
National Resource Center on Domestic Violence.

Garlow, B.J., Valente, R.L., Goelman, D.M., Hardeman, J., and Scott, I.
(1999). A Guide for Employers: Domestic Violence in the Workplace.
Washington, DC: American Bar Association, Commission on Domestic
Violence. 

Hammeal-Urban, R., and Davies, J. (1999). Federal Housing and
Domestic Violence: Introduction to Programs, Policy, and Advocacy
Opportunities. Harrisburg, PA: National Resource Center on Domestic
Violence.


NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund (1997). The Impact of Violence
in the Lives of Working Women: Creating Solutions, Creating Change.
New York, NY: NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund.
www.nowldef.org

Raphael, J., and Haennicke, S. (1999). Keeping Battered Women Safe
Through the Welfare-to-Work Journey: How Are We Doing? A Report on
the Implementation of Policies for Battered Women in State Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Programs. Chicago, IL: Taylor
Institute. www.welfareinfo.org

Thompson, R.H. (2000). Report on the Proceedings of the National
Discussion on Housing and Domestic Violence, October, 1999.
Washington, DC: STOP Violence Against Women Technical Assistance
Project. 1-800-256-5883

Turestsky, V., and Notar, S. (1999). Models for Safe Child Support
Enforcement. Washington, DC: Center for Budget and Policy Priorities.
www.clasp.org