The Mayor's Office

Monthly Bulletin

August 2019

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Message from Commissioner

Cecile Noel

On August 26th, we will celebrate Women’s Equality Day to commemorate the adoption of the 19th Amendment into the US Constitution. The fight for women’s suffrage lasted over seven decades and saw generations of activists work tirelessly to overturn laws written by and for men that no longer worked for everyone. What we consider basic freedoms today ‐ such as women’s rights to vote and own property ‐ were the result of the hard work and conviction of these trailblazers.

New York City continues to be a beacon of fairness and equity over 100 years after the passage of the 19th Amendment. In the past several months, the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence opened the ENDGBV Learning Lab within the Manhattan Family Justice Center to provide economic empowerment programming for survivors of domestic and gender-based violence, collaborated with NYC’s Department of Veteran Services and the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), on Theater of War performances addressing intimate partner violence and sexual assault, and partnered with Cornell Tech and the NYU Tandon School of Engineering to strengthen New York City’s supportive services for victims of cyberstalking. Our ongoing commitments with other city agencies and our community partners has enhanced our advocacy for survivors of domestic and gender-based violence.

Let us not forget how far we’ve come, and how far we have yet to go. Every day in the United States, women, girls, transgender, and gender non-conforming individuals still face violence and sexual abuse. Gender-based violence exacerbates other social inequities, compounding the struggles of women of color, LGBTQ women, immigrant women, disabled women, and women in poverty. However, it is important to recall that at one point in our history, the possibility of women’s suffrage once seemed like an unlikely prospect. We know that change comes with the consistent and considerable efforts of many. As we continue to celebrate our own strides towards fairness and equity, we must continue to reach across boundaries to nurture meaningful partnerships‐across agencies, public-private partnerships, faiths, and so on‐to continue our advocacy in our current national landscape with compassion and humanity.

WHAT'S NEW

NOMINATIONS FOR 2019 ADVOCATES OF NEW YORK ARE NOW OPEN!

Do you work with, or know, a tireless and impactful advocate for survivors of gender-based violence in NYC? Help us honor them! Nominate an individual or team by submitting their information to general@endgbv.nyc.gov by August 23, 2019. Please include their full name(s), organization(s), email address(es) where they can be reached, and a brief description of why you think they should be honored as a 2019 Advocate of NYC.

here there and EVERYwhere OPEN WORKSHOP AND SHOWCASE

On Friday, July 26th, the Manhattan Family Justice Center (MFJC) hosted creative nonprofit here there and EVERYwhere's Open Workshop & Showcase. Guests could see the program participants in action, as well as view and shop for one-of-a-kind designs. It was an inspiring event featuring beautiful artwork!

here there and EVERYwhere is a nonprofit, repurposed goods platform that provides survivors of economic hardships, domestic abuse, sexual assault, and human trafficking with an avenue for creative expression. They provide ongoing classes at the Manhattan FJC for survivors and their children.

ENDGBV IN THE COMMUNITY

ENDGBV's Outreach Team has been working with salons and barbershops in the New York area to provide cosmetologists with the knowledge and resources to help any clients who may be victims of domestic and gender-based violence.

New Yorkers who work in salons and barbershops are in a unique position to recognize the signs and symptoms of domestic and gender-based violence in their clients and co-workers. Because of the intimate and nurturing nature of the relationship between salon professionals and their clients and co-workers, they can often spot physical or emotional signs of domestic violence that may not be clear to others.

To learn more about ENDGBV's Salon Outreach project, check out our Domestic Violence Toolkit for Salon and Barbershop Professionals, available on our website.

NEW LEGAL PROTECTIONS FOR SURVIVORS

On Wednesday, July 24th, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a measure criminalizing non-consensual pornography, or revenge porn, in New York State. The legislation's Senate sponsor, Democrat Monica Martinez of Long Island, says the new law addresses what she calls a "particularly heinous" kind of offense. The law will go into effect on September 22nd.

Revenge porn is often used as a weapon in intimate partner violence. It is encouraging to see our government taking steps to protect survivors of gender-based violence online and offline.

NYPD SVD ANNOUNCES NEW VICTIM-CENTERED APPROACH

In an op-ed for the Daily News, commanding officer of the NYPD Special Victims Division Judith Harrison announced that she has implemented a new victim-centered approach into the department's investigations since she entered the position in November. Harrison writes that every investigator has been trained to interview victims in an empathy-based and trauma-informed manner, and that their facilities have been remodeled to be more welcoming to survivors and their children. It is great to see our law enforcement make positive changes so that pursuing justice becomes a viable path for many more survivors.

If you would like to read the full article, please visit the Daily News.

GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AWARENESS IN THE ARTS

The Minetta Lane Theatre is currently presenting Isaac Gomez's one-woman show The Way She Spoke, directed by Jo Bonney. Telling the stories of several women who disappeared or have been found murdered in Juarez, Mexico, actress Kate del Castillo plays every role, from a grieving mother to a convicted murderer.

The play is running until Sunday, August 18th at the Minetta Lane Theatre. For more information, such as directions, show times, and purchasing tickets, visit the play's Ticketmaster page.

ENDGBV NEW RELEASES

ENDGBV recently published the Fatality Review Committee report for 2019, which analyzes intimate partner homicide data to gain an understanding of the circumstances surrounding these crimes and the level to which victims utilized assistance and prevention services. Access the report here.

ICYMI

The Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs recently released a fact sheet describing the rights that all New Yorkers ‐ regardless of immigration status ‐ have when confronted by federal immigration enforcement such as ICE. The fact sheet is available in 14 languages and can be accessed at nyc.gov/KnowYourRights.

REQUEST A TRAINING SESSION OR WORKSHOP

Every month, ENDGBV's NYC Family Justice Centers (FJCs) host Core trainings and workshops for service providers. We also occasionally provide advanced and special trainings. You can find the list of upcoming trainings here.

The ENDGBV training team customizes trainings for service providers and their specific roles at City agencies and community-based organizations, and the Healthy Relationships Training Academy provides free interactive, intersectional, and discussion-based workshops on teen dating violence, healthy relationships, and consent to young people ages 11-24.

If you would like to request training or a workshop, please visit the Policy & Training webpage for more information.

All NYC FJCs are wheelchair accessible, including entrances and restrooms. If you require any other accommodations, such as ASL interpretation, please contact persons at the respective location upon registering at least 5 business days before event date(s) to ensure that an interpreter will be available.

MAYOR'S OFFICE JOB OPENINGS

Exciting full-time positions are now open across various city agencies. To apply online or share our openings with your networks, visit https://on.nyc.gov/2yDCKiV.

IN THE NEWS

Gun Ownership Rates Tied to Domestic Homicides, but Not Other Killings, Study Finds

Read full story at NY Times

How 'Internet of Things' Devices Can Help Victims of Domestic Abuse

Read full story at Mercatus Center

Domestic Violence Expert Says Teenager’s Murder “Wasn’t Just an Instagram Story”

Read full story at USA Today

Sex Trafficking Defendants Have a New Face: Wealthy, White, and Well-Connected

Read full story at LA Times

How the #MeToo Movement is Revealing the Failure of HR

Read full story at NBC News

These Transgender Latinas Want New York State to Decriminalize Sex Work

Read full story at The Daily Beast

How Domestic Abusers Weaponize the Courts

Read full story at The Atlantic

Your Business Can’t Afford to Ignore Workplace Violence Anymore

Read full story at Forbes

How Toxic Masculinity Fuels Mass Shootings

Read full story at Mother Jones

Google Has Removed Seven “Stalkerware” Apps from its Play Store

Read full story at Technology Review

Disclaimer: We believe in the principles of open dialogue and considering varying perspectives. Viewpoints or opinions expressed in the content of this communication or in articles linked do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, or the City of New York.

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The Office to Combat Domestic Violence (OCDV) is now the Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence. Find out more at www.nyc.gov/ENDGBV

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