Queens Council Members Sandra Ung, Linda Lee, and Shekar Krishnan joined Brooklyn Council Member Susan Zhuang and anti-gender-based violence advocates at City Hall on Tuesday to celebrate a new $3 million initiative, which funds organizations that provide culturally competent services for immigrant survivors of domestic violence.
The elected officials joined members of The Collective, a coalition of culturally-specific gender-based violence service providers serving immigrant and BIPOC survivors in New York City, to celebrate the creation of a new City Council initiative funding culturally competent services.
The $3 million Culturally Specific Gender Based Violence Initiative funds organizations that provide services such as interpretation, referrals, counseling and legal representation for U Visas and T Visas for survivors of gender-based violence.
Advocates said the new initiative will help address disparities in funding due to underreporting of domestic violence in immigrant communities and expand access to services to survivors in the languages that they speak.
Representatives from organizations including Korean American Family Service Center, Sauti Yeti Center for African Women, Safe Horizon, Turning Point for Women + Families, Womankind, Asiyah Women’s Center and Women for Afghan Women joined elected officials on the steps of City Hall on Tuesday to celebrate the initiative.
Advocates stated that the initiative expands on the impact of the Domestic Violence and Empowerment (DoVE) Initiative, which provides free and compassionate care to victims of domestic violence, elder abuse and physical and sexual assault.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Ung said the $3 million funding will help fill a “critical and long-overlooked need in immigrant communities” by breaking cultural and language barriers that often leave survivors isolated and without support. She described the initiative as a “powerful step” toward ensuring that all survivors have a path toward safety and justice.
“As a former attorney working with survivors of domestic violence, I witnessed firsthand how life-changing it is to have access to service providers who not only speak your language but also understand your cultural background,” Ung said in a statement.
Krishnan, meanwhile, described the funding as “historic” and said it would help ensure that all victims of gender-based violence receive support.
“Every victim of violence deserves to be heard, seen, and supported, but we cannot accomplish that if we aren’t reaching people in their languages and through their cultures,” Krishnan said.
Lee described gender-based violence as a “hidden epidemic” that disproportionately impacts immigrant New Yorkers.
“Many cases go unreported due to limited awareness and a lack of culturally and linguistically competent resources for survivors. That’s why I’m proud to join my City Council colleagues in securing $3 million in funding to confront this longstanding issue and connect individuals with lifesaving support,” Lee said.
Zhuang said barriers to support can be deadly for the victims of gender-based violence, adding that the initiative will provide a “life-saving step forward” for survivors across the city.
“Every day, I help immigrants who fear seeking support or can’t access any support because of language barriers,” Zhuang said.
Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, who did not attend Tuesday’s event but did co-sponsor the legislation, said language barriers, fear of retaliation, and cultural stigma often prevent survivors from accessing life-saving services.
Adams and Ung recently co‑authored an op‑ed for QNS titled “Empowering survivors by investing in the communities that know them best,” underscoring the importance of culturally competent support for immigrant survivors.
“This initiative will deliver critical, culturally competent support to communities that have long been overlooked,” Adams said in a statement.
Zeinab Eyega, executive director of the Sauti Yetu Center for African Women described the funding as a “lifeline” for gender-based violence survivors.
“More than just a budget line, this funding from the NYC Council is a lifeline that empowers immigrant survivors to reclaim their lives in safety and with dignity,” Eyega said.
Meanwhile, Kelly Coyne, chief program officer at Safe Horizon, said New York City is a safer place when immigrant communities have access to legal representation and wraparound services, while Womankind CEO Yasmeen Hamza said the funding would help survivors on their families on their “healing journeys.”
