The U.S. government estimates one in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year. U.S. government statistics reveal one in six women will experience an attempted or completed rape at some time in her life. Approximately 500,000 women are estimated to be victims of some form of rape or sexual assault each year in the United States. Alaska Native and American Indian women are more likely to experience sexual assault and domestic violence than are women from other racial or ethnic groups.

American Indians are twice as likely to experience sexual assault crimes compared to all other races, and one in three Indian women reports having been raped during her lifetime.

Program Overview
The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) currently administers 18 grant programs authorized by the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 and subsequent legislation. These grant programs are designed to develop the nation's capacity to reduce domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by strengthening services to victims and holding offenders accountable for their actions.

The Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program (Tribal Governments Program), authorized in Title IX of the Violence Against Women Act of 2005 (VAWA 2005), is designed to enhance the ability of tribes to respond to violent crimes against Indian women, enhance victim safety, and develop education and prevention strategies.

OVW's Tribal Governments Program awards funds to develop and enhance effective plans for tribal governments to respond to violence committed against Indian women; strengthen the tribal criminal justice system; improve services available to help Indian women who are victims of violence; create community education and prevention campaigns; address the needs of children who witness domestic violence; provide supervised visitation and safe exchange programs; provide transitional housing assistance; and provide legal advice and representation to survivors of violence who need assistance with legal issues caused by the abuse or the violence they suffered.

In Fiscal Year 2008, the Tribal Governments Program funded 65 projects totaling approximately $30 million. Since 1998, through this program and its predecessor, the Stop Violence Against Indian Women Program, OVW funded more than 700 projects, totaling more than $145 million, for tribal governments working to improve their community's response to violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women. The Tribal Governments Programs supports 142 individual tribes, tribal consortia, and other organizations designated to receive funds on behalf of tribes.

Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants are federally recognized Indian tribal governments, their authorized designees, or a tribal consortium of federally recognized Indian tribal governments.

Priority Areas
OVW is especially interested in supporting projects address sexual assault of Indian women and encourages grantees to include one or more of the following activities:

   •   Training tribal victim advocates, law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, and tribal government officials on appropriate responses to sexual assault.

   •   Sexual Assault Forensic Nurse Examiner (SANE) certification training for nurses and medical professionals.

   •   Developing sexual assault response protocols for law enforcement, prosecutors, victim advocates, and health care facilities.

Materials and Publications

   •   A Guide to Understanding the FY 2008 Grants to Indian Tribal Governments Program
       http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/docs/final_draft_2008_GTITG_guidebook.pdf

   •   Prosecutor Sexual Assault Protocol: Resource Guide for Drafting or Revising Tribal Prosecutor Protocols on Responding to Sexual Assault:
       http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/docs/assault.pdf

   •   Resource Guide for Drafting or Revising Tribal Law Against Domestic Violence:
        http://www.tribal-institute.org/download/DV_Code_Resource_Feb_08.pdf

Technical Assistance Providers
Since 1995, OVW's Technical Assistance Program provides OVW grantees with training, expertise, and problem-solving strategies to meet the challenges of addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. The following organizations train and provide resources to tribal governments

   •   Mending the Sacred Hoop TA Provider:
       http://www.msh-ta.org/

   •   Southwest Center for Law and Policy
       http://www.swclap.org/

   •   Tribal Law and Policy Institute (including TA on Sexual Assault):
       http://www.tribal-institute.org/

Resources
For a complete list of OVW grant awards by state, visit OVW's website: http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/grantactivities.htm.

If you have additional questions, contact the OVW Tribal Governments Program Unit at OVW.VAIW@usdoj.gov or call OVW at (202) 307-6026.