Biden Commemorates 30th Anniversary of Violence Against Women Act with New Initiatives, According to Reuters

By Gabriella Borter

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden introduced a series of grants and initiatives aimed at fighting domestic abuse and supporting survivors of gender-based violence on Thursday, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act.

"Not long ago, our society was reluctant to discuss violence against women as a national crisis, much less take action. We often turned a blind eye," Biden remarked while addressing survivors and advocates on the South Lawn of the White House.

The Biden administration’s measures include the establishment of a resource center by the Department of Justice designed to assist law enforcement, attorneys, and victim service organizations in addressing cyber crimes, such as non-consensual or revenge porn and online stalking.

Additionally, the Department of Justice plans to enhance technical support for local law enforcement agencies aimed at removing firearms from domestic abusers. They also announced over $690 million in grant funding for fiscal year 2024 to help communities tackle gender-based violence.

Furthermore, the administration intends to create an office for gender-based violence within the Department of Housing and Urban Development to address the housing and economic needs of domestic violence survivors.

Biden was instrumental in crafting the legislation in 1994 that made physical abuse against women a federal crime and allocated government resources for victim services, training for advocates, shelters, and prevention education.

The law lapsed during Donald Trump’s presidency in 2019, but Biden signed a spending bill that renewed the legislation in 2022.