Kilmer Announces Grant to Help Quileute and Makah Tribes Continue to Confront Violence against Women
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) announced that the Quileute and Makah Tribes won grants to continue to confront violence against Tribal women. The investments come through the Justice Department’s Tribal Government Program that aims to reduce crimes against women, bolster Tribal law enforcement agencies to respond to these incidents, and ensure perpetrators are held accountable.
Specifically these grants can be used by the Quileute and Makah to: Provide transitional housing assistance, strengthen the tribal criminal justice system, improve services available to help Indian women who are victims of violence, address the needs of children who witness domestic violence, and create community education and prevention campaigns.
“For any woman faced with abuse we should make sure they never suffer in silence,” said Kilmer. “Domestic violence is a scourge that continues to impact Tribal lands. With these new investments the Quileute and Makah tribes can continue to provide proper protections to victims so they feel safe and go after the perpetrators of these terrible crimes.”
The grant program was originally created under the 2005 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. Kilmer was a cosponsor of the 2013 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. The law broadened tougher domestic violence protections to cover women who live in Tribal communities.
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