The Director of the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women

From the Director of U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), Cindy Dyer: This month marks the end of my tenure serving you as Director of the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). It has been an incredible honor to lead this office in raising awareness and providing national leadership on issues related to stalking, domestic violence, sexual assault, and dating violence.

Cindy has done much progress with her position as director. Last summer Cindy convened a roundtable of experts from around the country to explore the intersection of custody and domestic violence. Cindy directed the office to develop and explore ways to equip communities to assist victims with custody disputes and prevent the negative consequences of giving custody to abusers. OVW will continue to provide updates on this initiative and policies as they are implemented.

Last April Cindy vowed to renew OVW's commitment to ending sexual violence. As a result, OVW will launch the Sexual Assault Services Program this spring. OVW will launch a Sexual Assault Demonstration Initiative in partnership with the National Institute of Justice , the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault <http://www.iowacasa.org> , and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center <http://www.nsvrc.org> to enhance services for victims of sexual assault through dual domestic violence/sexual assault programs. This Initiative will provide a strong foundational response and spur promising practices to end sexual violence.

OVW presented at the International Family Justice Center Conference in England, showcased the work of our field partners at the UN Crime Commission in a forum of over 40 countries, and brought our experiences fighting violence against women to women's organizations in Africa. We created remarkable connections across borders and oceans and look forward to the day when women can live in a world free of violence.

Deputy Director Catherine Pierce, a 15-year OVW veteran, will assume leadership responsibilities.

Office on Violence Against Women
800 K Street NW, Suite 910
Washington, DC 20530
Phone (202) 307-6026 * Fax (202) 305-2589
www.ovw.usdoj.gov