Impact of the Federal Funding Freeze

January 30, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Statement on the Impact of the Federal Funding Freeze

On Monday evening, January 27, 2025, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memo pausing all federal grants and loan disbursements, creating widespread confusion and uncertainty among service providers and advocacy organizations. While a federal judge temporarily blocked the freeze on January 28, 2025, and the White House subsequently “rescinded” the memo. The uncertainty surrounding this funding freeze continues to pose a serious threat to the vital services that support survivors of gender-based violence across the country, as well as right here in our region.

Although the memo is currently “rescinded,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday, “This is NOT a rescission of the federal funding freeze…It is simply a rescission of the OMB memo. Why? To end any confusion created by the court’s injunction. The President’s EO’s on federal funding remain in full force and effect and will be rigorously implemented.”

As an organization that is dedicated to supporting survivors of gender-based violence, Women Helping Women is monitoring the changing conditions constantly and is partnering with our state-wide coalitions: Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence (OAESV) and the Ohio Domestic Violence Network (ODVN), and national organizations like the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV). We stand in unified solidarity with these organizations at the state and national levels who are facing the same challenges.

Regionally, in Southwest Ohio, Women Helping Women serves as the ONLY rape crisis center in the 5-county region we serve. We also serve survivors of domestic violence. This makes us a “dual agency,” which means we are the ONLY agency in our region providing comprehensive support for both sexual assault and domestic violence survivors. Without our crisis intervention, many survivors would have nowhere to turn.

Last year alone, Women Helping Women provided life-saving support to over 8,500 survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence and responded with over 40,000 crisis services in Southwest Ohio. These services, which are provided in communities in both urban and rural areas, are often the first point of contact for victims in crisis, whether answering a 2 a.m. hotline call, supporting survivors through forensic examinations, or providing emergency shelter and long-term healing services through our newly established Survivor Equity Fund. We are here 24/7/365 for those who need us. Any freeze on federal funding puts these crucial services in jeopardy, as many programs already face funding cuts and long waiting lists.

The freeze is not just a financial issue; it directly impacts the health and safety of survivors and their families. These services are not optional; they are lifelines for those who have experienced trauma. In Ohio, like in many other states, gender-based violence services are a bipartisan issue. Regardless of political affiliation, Ohioans understand that survivors deserve emergency responses and the resources necessary to heal, and that our communities are stronger when these services are supported.

We want to reassure survivors that, despite these challenges, our commitment to supporting you remains unwavering. We are actively working to mitigate the impact of these possible drastic funding cuts and continue offering the critical services you deserve.

Women Helping Women urgently calls on our legislators and the current administration to ensure that funding for sexual and domestic violence services is not only restored but protected from further instability. Survivors deserve access to the resources that are critical for their healing, and we will continue to advocate for these essential services.

We cannot do this alone. We call on our supporters, donors, and partners to stand with us during this pivotal moment. Your contributions and your calls to Congress will help sustain the critical work that keeps our doors open and our services available to survivors in need. Together, we can amplify our collective voice and push for the necessary policy changes to secure sustained funding for services that survivors depend on and deserve. Safety is a basic human right.

We remain steadfast in our mission, and with your support, we will continue to provide hope, healing, and advocacy for survivors of gender-based violence. Thank you for being a champion for survivors.

###

Women Helping Women – Women Helping Women’s mission is to prevent gender-based violence and to empower all survivors while driving social change that promotes justice and centers communities impacted by oppression. WHW envisions a world where systemic oppressions are dismantled and all people are safe, liberated, and thriving. Founded in 1973, WHW provides expert crisis-intervention responses and prevention services in its five-county region of Hamilton, Butler, Brown, Adams, and Clermont Counties. Learn more at www.womenhelpingwomen.org