October is Domestic Violence Action Month and Domestic Violence Awareness Month. During the month of October victim advocates, allies, survivors of abuse, their loved ones, and the surrounding community come together to raise awareness of domestic violence and its impact on individuals, families, and communities. Now is the time to come together, support one another, share resources, reserve space for each other, honor those we’ve lost, and celebrate the progress made in ending domestic violence.

Everyone has a role in ending domestic violence and its impact on our communities, from staying connected to someone experiencing abuse, volunteering at nonprofit organizations serving survivors, to sharing resources. We can all contribute to building safe and resilient communities.

Women’s Advisory Board recommendations to support survivors of gender-based violence

The Department of Community and Human Services supports King County’s Women’s Advisory Board (WAB). The WAB, established in 1978, is a council-nominated board that makes recommendations to the King County Executive and King County Council to ensure King County considers the needs, rights, and well-being of women. In 2023, the WAB presented their recommendations to prevent gender-based violence in King County. Earlier this month, in honor of Domestic Violence Action Month, the WAB presented an update to the King County Council on the state of gender-based violence in King County and how investments in the renewed Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy (VSHSL) have been addressing the WAB recommendations. Watch the full presentation here.

“These recommendations were formed over three years of extensive engagement with a diverse group of leaders, community-based organizations, and those with lived experience. We embarked on the topic of gender-based violence before the pandemic and observed directly how the pandemic laid bare the gender-based violence crisis and resulting increase in demand for services in King County. We applaud the work that the Executive and Council has done to support survivors and strengthen prevention efforts to date,” shared the Women’s Advisory Board.

How local funding is addressing the WAB recommendations

The VSHSL invests in strategies to prevent violence and offer crisis, and short- to medium-term, response for survivors of gender-based violence. In August 2023, over 71 percent of King County voters approved the VSHSL for the fourth time, the highest approval rating in the levy’s history. When developing the VSHSL Implementation Plan, a strategy-by-strategy plan that details how the 2024-2029 VSHSL proceeds will be invested in King County’s communities, the WAB recommendations were considered.

System Navigation and Mobile Advocacy

In the renewed VSHSL, funding for the strategy SS 4: Gender-Based Violence System Navigation and Mobile Advocacy, nearly tripled from about six million in the previous levy to a current investment of nearly $18 million. This additional funding supports advocates to provide a tailored combination of services and resources to help improve the safety, health, and stability of survivors of gender-based violence. Mobile Advocacy is survivor-driven, trauma-informed advocacy that supports survivors to rebuild control over their lives. Survivors lead the process, choose their own goals, and define what is most safe for them. 

This investment is directly responsive to the 2022 VSHSL Assessment Report, a series of community engagement activities, and the WAB recommendation number one: Increase Investments in survivor-centered mobile advocacy for survivors of gender-based violence.

Countywide Gender-Based Violence and Trafficking Prevention

The previous iteration of the VSHSL launched a pilot program to builda network of domestic and sexual violence prevention organizations to develop and implement in-depth, multi-level, coordinated prevention and community engagement strategies tailored to geographically and culturally diverse communities across King County. Under the renewed VSHSL, this work, due to the pilot program’s success, community feedback, the 2022 VSHSL Assessment Report, and the WAB recommendation number seven is now permanent with increased funding.

The VSHSL investment HL 10: Countywide Gender-Based Violence and Trafficking Prevention recently awarded a total of $5,136,685 to 12 community partners to develop and implement programming and initiatives designed to prevent all forms of gender-based violence and human trafficking.

Countywide Gender-Based Violence and Trafficking Prevention awardees and their program focus:

  • API Chaya: Gender-based violence prevention for immigrant and Black communities.
  • Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence: Gender-based violence prevention though community education and training.
  • Domestic Abuse Women’s Network: Parenting classes to prevent domestic violence.
  • Filipino Community of Seattle: Gender-based violence advocacy through trainings in de-escalation and conflict resolution.
  • King County Sexual Assault Resource Center: Prevention education for the LGBTQ+ community.
  • Lavender Rights Project: Gender-based violence prevention through media campaigns, cultural organizing, providing legal advocacy to survivors, and conducing ‘know your rights’ workshops for survivors.
  • Lutheran Community Services Northwest: Gender-based violence wraparound services including training participants to recognize signs of trafficking to prevent trafficking and enhance personal and community safety.
  • Mother Nation: Gender-based violence prevention through cultural prevention services, gathering of Women Sweats, Sisterhood Circles, and Round Dance and Drum teachings.
  • Organization for Prostitution Survivors: Sexual exploitation prevention through a community-based network for prevention, accountability, and intervention that is guided by survivors of trafficking. Men’s program centered on accountability and raising awareness of the harm of trafficking.
  • Sexual Violence Law Center: Gender-based violence prevention legal services including community education and training in legal services for survivors.
  • Somali Family Safety Task Force: Gender-based violence prevention through training in intimate partner violence prevention.
  • YWCA Seattle| King|Snohomish: Gender-based violence and commercial sexual exploitation prevention.

Local resources for survivors

Domestic violence can affect anyone, at any time, and in any relationship. If you or someone you care about need help, DVHopeline (King County Domestic Violence Hotline) is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Call 206-737-0242 or 877-737-0242.

You can also find 30+ additional, culturally specific, resources here.