End Violence Against Women - Evaw International

TO INSPIRE AND EDUCATE THOSE WHO RESPOND TO GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE.

EVAWI IS AMERICA'S LEADING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO IMPROVING CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESPONSES TO SEXUAL ASSAULT, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND OTHER GENDER-BASED CRIMES. TO ADVANCE THIS MISSION, EVAWI HOLDS ANNUAL CONFERENCES SUPPORTED BY REGISTRATION FEES, TO EDUCATE MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAMS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, PROSECUTORS, HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS, VICTIM ADVOCATES, RESEARCHERS, AND OTHERS. IN 2023, EVAWI HELD ITS SECOND CONFERENCE WITH BOTH IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL ATTENDEES. A TOTAL OF 2,480 PROFESSIONALS ATTENDED, COMPLETING 276,520 TRAINING HOURS, AN INCREDIBLE SUCCESS. THIS MEANS PROFESSIONALS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD NOW HAVE THE TOOLS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF RESPONSE AND INVESTIGATION AT EVERY STAGE IN THE PROCESS.

EVAWI OFFERS 19 COMPREHENSIVE ONLINE TRAINING COURSES AND A WEB-BASED CLEARINGHOUSE FOR INFORMATION, RESOURCES, AND BEST PRACTICES WITH MORE THAN 200 ARCHIVED WEBINARS. WHILE MANY OF THESE RESOURCES ARE FREE, WEBINARS REQUIRE A REGISTRATION FEE. EVAWI OFFERS INDIVIDUALS AND AGENCIES PAID SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR UNLIMITED ACCESS TO ALL LIVE AND RECORDED WEBINARS. IN 2023, 15 AGENCY SUBSCRIPTIONS AND 333 INDIVIDUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS WERE PURCHASED, AND 1,806 PROFESSIONALS ATTENDED LIVE AND RECORDED WEBINARS, ENHANCING THEIR SKILLS IN A WIDE RANGE OF AREAS. IN 2023, WITH FUNDING FROM THE MRBALLEN FOUNDATION AND THE WILLIAM H. DONNER FOUNDATION, EVAWI CONTINUED TO ENHANCE THE SEEK THEN SPEAK PROGRAM. SEEK THEN SPEAK OFFERS A WAY FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVORS AND SUPPORT PEOPLE TO GATHER INFORMATION, EXPLORE OPTIONS, AND TAKE ACTION - INCLUDING BEGINNING THE PROCESS OF REPORTING TO POLICE BY COMPLETING A SELF-GUIDED INTERVIEW AND DOCUMENTING CRITICAL INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR ASSAULT. THIS INNOVATIVE TOOL INCREASES ACCESS FOR SURVIVORS TO PURSUE JUSTICE AND HEALING ON THEIR OWN TERMS. SURVIVORS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE TOLD US HOW VALUABLE THEY FIND SEEK THEN SPEAK TO GATHER INFORMATION AND EXPLORE OPTIONS, ESPECIALLY THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPLETE A SELF-GUIDED INTERVIEW AT THEIR OWN TIME, PLACE, AND PACE. TOGETHER WITH THE MRBALLEN FOUNDATION AND THE WILLIAM H. DONNER FOUNDATION, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL OF CREATING A NEW PATHWAY TO JUSTICE AND ENSURING SERVICES FOR SURVIVORS AND THEIR LOVED ONES. START BY BELIEVING (SBB) IS A GLOBAL CAMPAIGN TRANSFORMING THE WAY SOCIETY RESPONDS TO SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS, MAKING IT EASIER AND SAFER TO SEEK HELP. IN 2023, EVAWI PROVIDED HANDS-ON ASSISTANCE FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO LAUNCH AND SUSTAIN CAMPAIGNS THAT SPREAD THE MESSAGE, "WE BELIEVE AND SUPPORT SURVIVORS." OVER 750 SBB CAMPAIGNS IN 2023 HAVE PREPARED PROFESSIONALS AND LOVED ONES TO REACT SUPPORTIVELY TO SURVIVORS ACROSS THE US AND IN 25 COUNTRIES. COMPREHENSIVE VICTIM INTERVIEWING (CVI) IS A TRAINING IN TRAUMA INFORMED INTERVIEWING AND INVESTIGATION LED BY VETERAN LAW ENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATORS AND OTHER LEADING NATIONAL EXPERTS. OFFERED ONLINE THROUGH A HIGH- PERFORMANCE TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM, PARTICIPANTS HAVE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES TO INTERACT AND ANALYZE RECORDED INTERVIEWS WITH SURVIVORS CONDUCTED BY SKILLED INVESTIGATORS FOLLOWING BEST PRACTICES, INCLUDING ACCOMPANIMENT BY A VICTIM ADVOCATE. CVI COURSES WERE OFFERED IN 2023 RESULTING IN PROFESSIONALS BETTER PREPARED TO CONDUCT EFFECTIVE VICTIM INTERVIEWS AND EVIDENCE-BASED INVESTIGATIONS IN HUNDREDS OF COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE US.

IN 2023, WITH GRANT FUNDING FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, OFFICE ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, EVAWI WORKED WITH PARTNERS TO PROMOTE AND DISSEMINATE THE NEW SEXUAL ASSAULT MEDICAL FORENSIC EXAMINATION: A VIRTUAL PRACTICUM. THROUGH THIS INTERACTIVE TRAINING, WHICH IS AVAILABLE FOR FREE WITH SUPPORT FROM OVW, PROFESSIONALS LEARN EACH STEP IN THE PROCESS OF CONDUCTING A MEDICAL FORENSIC EXAMINATION, INCLUDING COLLECTING EVIDENCE AND DOCUMENTING FINDINGS - EVEN PREPARING PROFESSIONALS TO TESTIFY IN COURT. IT IS A VALUABLE TRAUMA-INFORMED TRAINING TOOL FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS, AS WELL AS LAW ENFORCEMENT, PROSECUTORS, FORENSIC SCIENTISTS, EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, VICTIM ADVOCATES, AND OTHERS.

THE ADVANCED TRAINING INSTITUTE (ATI) IS A NEW PROGRAM EVAWI LAUNCHED IN 2023, ALSO SUPPORTED BY REGISTRATION FEES. THIS INTENSIVE 2-DAY IN-PERSON TRAINING ON SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM INTERVIEWING AND EVIDENCE-BASED INVESTIGATIONS IS LED BY VETERAN LAW ENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATORS AND OTHER LEADING NATIONAL EXPERTS. OFFERED IN-PERSON AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS WITHIN THE US, PARTICIPANTS HAVE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES TO GAIN STRATEGIES AND TOOLS TO BUILD SIGNIFICANTLY STRONGER CASES FOR PROSECUTION. TWO ATI COURSES WERE OFFERED IN 2023, ONE IN BALTIMORE, MD AND THE OTHER IN NEW ORLEANS, LA, FOR A TOTAL OF 263 PROFESSIONALS WHO WALKED AWAY FROM ATI TRAINING BETTER PREPARED TO CONDUCT EFFECTIVE VICTIM INTERVIEWS AND EVIDENCE-BASED INVESTIGATIONS IN HUNDREDS OF COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE US.