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The Office on Violence Against Women, created through the Violence Against Women Act of 1995 (renewed in 2005 and again in 2012), serves to combat violence against women in many different areas including on college campuses and homes1; further, it has created resources that help women who have suffered violence. The director of the Office on Violence Against Women is a Presidential appointee.

“The mission of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), a component of the U.S. Department of Justice, is to provide federal leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence against women and administer justice for and strengthen services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.”3

As an office in the Department of Justice, the Office on Violence Against Women receives federal funding which it uses to provide federal grants to communities across America. These grants aim to “forge focused and effective partnerships”2 between federal and state authorities as well as provide services to victims of sexual assault or domestic violence. Since the founding, the number of grants that the Office on Violence Against Women has offered have increased significantly. The Office on Violence Against Women has awarded over $4.7 billion in grants3 directed towards the aforementioned projects. From 1995 the office has had three different directors, and the programs it offers have expanded to include many minorities including Native Americans. These expansions have proven to be a point of contention among lawmakers and interest groups, but the Office continues with its grant programs.