New Jersey’s Department of Community Affairs, Community of Women manages several grants and contracts providing technical assistance to designate country-based Sexual Violence Programs in 21 counties in the State as well as gives support to the Sexual Assault Prevention Education Programs and the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
Program aims to provide assistance to the grantees for implementing services for the victims and reducing their risks. Department provides funds to the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault, SCREAM Theater at Rutgers University and 21 county Sexual Violence Programs which give counseling services to the individuals and groups and help rape survivors through their medical examination, and law and court proceedings.
These county Sexual Violence Programs also provide prevention and educational activities in their schools and communities. The Office on Women’s Policy & Research, Support, Employment, Education & Training unit (OWPRSET) motivates and supports the decision making policies based on research, creates and produces oral and written testimonies at legislative hearings and formulates new legislations and other policies in conjunction with organizations and other government agencies.
Department’s concern also addresses other issues like domestic violence, dating, sexual harassment and assault, and stalking etc. They provide all the three -prevention, care and shelter services to the victim women. The prevention services involve educational training to professional workers who are providing services to the victims and they also involve public education for the community at large level. In this program, grants are given to the community programs for giving services to the victims.
The Advisory Council on Domestic Violence also disseminates programs with aims to review laws, carry on the need based research programs and formulate policy issues by giving recommendations for education and training to the community on giving aid and relief to the victimized women. Department also provides funds to the hotline operated by Womenspace Inc, giving all over state 24 hours services, seven days a week for victims of domestic violence and others seeking information about the same.
Grants are also given for improvement or providing supplement to the direct services to the victims of domestic violence. Funds thus allotted may also be used for other related programs like maintaining or if need be providing new physical structure and shelter.
The grants and these programs are no doubt very important as the violence against women is increasing in various forms. If you look at the police records and statistics figures, you will yourself find in New Jersey alone that women are getting succumbed to numerous violence every day including rape, sexual assault and even trafficking. It has been found that New Jersey has been a major destination state for trafficking of women and children.
Looking at the depth and the seriousness of the program and the way commercial sex establishments are eating the very fabric of the democratic and vibrant social economy that makes America, it is high time more programs and more grants should be initiated at the Federal level. More grants mean more programs and more enthusiasm for the organizations and the likeminded people to control these crimes against women.
