Women’s advocate: $1.2 million available to combat gender violence
By John McPhaul
jpmcphaul@gmail.com
Women’s Advocate Lersy Boria Vizcarrondo announced Wednesday the availability of a $1.2 million fund for nonprofit organizations that offer direct, emergency or outpatient services to victims and survivors of gender violence.
The official specified that an organization interested in applying to access funds has until Friday, March 4 at 4:30 p.m. to submit the application and file a work proposal, in digital PDF format, with the Office of the Women’s Advocate by email to: csantiago@mujer.pr.gov.
The fund, established by virtue of Executive Order 2021-013, issued last year by Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia and which declared a State of Emergency Due to the Increase in Cases of Gender-Based Violence in Puerto Rico, and organized the Prevention, Support, Rescue Committee and Education of Gender Violence
(PARE by its Spanish initials), has the purpose of stabilizing, guaranteeing and strengthening the operations, as well as services of non-governmental organizations specialized in providing services to survivor victims of violence. Therefore, the requesting organization must have experience, a recognized track record and expertise in handling social problems.
Details of the requirements and entities that can apply for the subsidy are available under the Fund Application Guide on the Women’s Advocate’s Office website: http://www.mujer.pr.gov. The guide can also be requested by email, through csantiago@mujer.pr.gov.
Boria Vizcarrondo urged non-profit organizations to become familiar with the requirements and submit their application as soon as possible, so that the process translates into more services for victims and survivors of violence in Puerto Rico.
“From the Office of the Women’s Advocate, we continue working, in alliance with the PARE Committee, to achieve the full development of women, promoting equality and equity, eradicating all manifestations of discrimination and violence,” she said. “Through this fund we intend, according to the public policy established by the governor, to strengthen emergency shelter services for women survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, violence, stalking or human trafficking, among other manifestations of violence, through integrated services such as individual counseling, crisis intervention, support groups, coordination of health and sexual health services, psychosocial support and economic independence, among others.”