Violence against women and girls is a human rights issue around the world. Due to pervasive inequality, millions of women and girls experience violence simply because they were born female. A constellation of factors puts immigrant women and girls at greater risk. At Tahirih, protecting this vulnerable population in the United States is our focus.
Around the world, 1 in 3 women will be raped, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime. Gender-based violence can have a crippling effect on a woman’s or girl’s life, inflicting short- and long-term physical and mental harm.
Children who grow up in families where there is violence often grapple with a range of behavioral and emotional problems as a consequence. Sadly, violence is cyclical, and children who experience it are more likely to be victims or perpetrators as adults.
Gender-based violence takes a tremendous toll on communities. Domestic violence—just one form of gender-based violence—is more costly than warfare, with a worldwide annual cost of $8 trillion. Until all women and girls enjoy equality, society cannot progress.
Imagine you don't speak English, live thousands of miles from your family, and know nothing about your rights under U.S. law. This is a reality faced by millions of immigrant women and girls across the United States.
Imagine that you struggle to meet your basic needs. Fleeing abuse can seem impossible. Your legal status makes you ineligible for legal aid, and nationally, there is only one public service attorney for every 10,000 people living in poverty.
Imagine you have grown up in a corrupt country where you cannot trust government figures and authorities, or you have lived your whole life in an abusive home. Your abuser takes advantage of this fear to keep you silent.
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