The Violence Against Women Act has provided protections for women, especially on issues like intimate partner violence, human trafficking and sexual assault. The legislation provides funding for essential services such as shelters, abuse hotlines and rape-crisis centers. Improvements in this reauthorization bill include strengthening rape prevention and education efforts, providing legal funding and increased support for marginalized communities like LGBTQ survivors, and expanding special criminal jurisdiction by tribal courts to cover non-native perpetrators of sexual assault. |