WASHINGTON, Sept 12 (Askume) – U.S. President Joe Biden will on Thursday announce a series of grants and initiatives to combat domestic violence and support victims of gender-based violence, marking the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Violence Against Women Act.
Jennifer Klein, chair of the White House Gender Policy Council, told reporters that the Biden-Harris administration’s initiative would include a resource center run by the Justice Department that would help law enforcement, lawyers and victim service organizations combat revenge porn and online stalking and other cybercrimes.
He said the Justice Department will also provide technical assistance to local law enforcement agencies to seize weapons from domestic violence offenders, and provide more than $690 million in fiscal year 2024 for programs to help communities respond to gender-based violence.
The government will also establish an office on gender-based violence through the Department of Housing and Urban Development to help meet the housing and financial needs of survivors of domestic violence, Klein said.
Biden is scheduled to address survivors and supporters at the White House on Thursday evening ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act.
She helped craft 1994 legislation that criminalized physical abuse of women at the federal level and provided government funding for victim services, advocacy training, shelters, and prevention education.
The law expired in 2019, during President Donald Trump’s term. Biden signed a spending bill extending the law through 2022 .
