Immigrant Women Program: Training and Technical Assistance - Issues

IWP offers training and technical assistance to advocates, attorneys, social services and health care providers, justice system personnel and other professionals who encounter battered immigrant women, immigrant victims of crime, sexual assault or trafficking in their work. Our technical assistance is provided to support these professionals in offering services to immigrant victims and immigrant women in their communities.

Our training and technical assistance focuses on the following issues:

Immigrant Victims of Violence: Domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking are widespread in the United States, affecting individuals of virtually every racial, ethnic, gender, age and socioeconomic group - including immigrant women. IWP provides training to improve access to legal protections for immigrant women and their children who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, and other crimes. Learn more about IWP's resources and publications related to immigrant victims of violence.

Family Law for Immigrants: Immigrant victims of violence often encounter gender and/or race bias when they turn to the justice system for help in domestic violence, family and criminal law cases. These biases undermine immigrant women’s ability to obtain effective protection orders, legal custody of their children, child support and to cooperate in the criminal prosecution of their abusers. IWP provides training to improve justice system responses to immigrant victims of violence. Learn more about IWP's resources and publications related to family law for immigrants.

Public Benefits for Immigrant Women: Generally, with some important exceptions, only immigrants who have been legally residing in the country for five years can access public benefits like TANF and Medicaid. However, immigrant women suffering domestic violence may be able to qualify for benefits earlier depending on their state’s rules for such waivers. IWP works to increase access to life-saving benefits for immigrant women. Learn more about IWP's resources and publications related to public benefits for immigrant women. Learn more about TANF for immigrant women.

VAWA Confidentiality: Many victims of violence do not report for fear of retribution or retaliation from their abusers. Provisions in the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and its reauthorizations prohibit justice system professionals from sharing personally identifying information about victims without "reasonably time-limited" written and informed consent. IWP provides training on this issue from the immigrant victim context. Learn more about IWP's resources and publications on VAWA confidentiality.

Language Access and Cultural Competency: Immigrant women’s ability to access the services they need to overcome domestic and sexual violence and to escape poverty is hampered by barriers imbedded in the systems victims turn to for help. These include: lack of language accessibility; justice, social services and health care personnel who lack knowledge about immigrant victims’ legal rights; incorrect assumptions about the immigrant woman’s culture; and anti-immigrant sentiment. IWP provides training and technical assistance for service providers and law enforcement professionals so that they can better assist and serve immigrant women. Learn more about IWP's resources and publications on language access and cultural competency.