How to Address Domestic Violence in a Collective Way – Minnesota Women’s Press

Addressing Intimate Partner Violence: A Sustainable Development Goals Perspective

The persistent issue of intimate partner violence (IPV) remains a critical challenge worldwide, with little reduction in abuse cases over decades. This report highlights key insights from advocates working to combat gender-based violence, emphasizing the alignment of their efforts with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions).

Frustrations in the Domestic Violence Sector

Challenges Faced by Advocates

1. Workforce Retention and Compensation: Amirthini Keefe, Executive Director of the Domestic Abuse Project (DAP), notes a scarcity model within the domestic violence community. Competitive pay is essential to retain skilled advocates, many of whom are survivors themselves, yet funding limitations hinder this goal.
2. Funding Constraints and Public Misunderstanding: Shannon Wussow, Executive Director of the Relationship Safety Alliance, highlights ongoing budget challenges and the need for public education about the services provided.
3. Systemic Resistance to Change: Nikki Engel, Systems Change Senior Manager at Violence Free Minnesota (VFMN), emphasizes that the difficulty lies not in working with survivors but in overcoming entrenched bureaucratic and cultural barriers resistant to trauma-informed reforms.

SDG Alignment

• SDG 5 (Gender Equality): Addressing gender-based violence directly supports achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.
• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): Enhancing support services for survivors promotes mental and physical health.
• SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions): Advocates seek to reform systems to be more just, accountable, and responsive to survivors’ needs.

Funding and Community Support

Current Funding Landscape

• Diverse Funding Sources: DAP receives approximately 20% of its funding from federal sources and has diversified income streams, including billing insurance for mental health services, despite challenges.
• Legislative Advocacy: VFMN benefits from legislative champions increasing crime victim services funding, though resources remain insufficient to meet rising costs.
• Funding Challenges: The predominantly female workforce and government funding restrictions impact pay scales and service quality decisions.

SDG Alignment

• SDG 5 (Gender Equality): Addressing pay equity and funding disparities in female-dominated sectors.
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): Ensuring equitable access to resources and support for marginalized communities affected by IPV.

Collective Movement Building

Community and Organizational Collaboration

• Housing and Shelter Challenges: Extended shelter stays due to lack of safe, affordable housing highlight systemic gaps.
• Collaboration and Power Dynamics: Advocates emphasize the need to overcome competition and power imbalances within the domestic violence community to foster innovation and solidarity.

SDG Alignment

• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): Promoting access to safe, affordable housing for survivors.
• SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): Encouraging collaboration among organizations to strengthen community responses.

Preventive Work and Early Intervention

Strategies for Prevention

1. Education in Schools: Programs addressing healthy relationships and bullying are critical for early intervention, as noted by Shannon Wussow and Amirthini Keefe.
2. Alternative Responses to Domestic Violence: Violence Free Minnesota explored non-law-enforcement-based responses, aiming to diversify survivor support pathways.
3. Systems Change Initiatives: DAP facilitates partnerships among system actors to develop collective responses to domestic violence.

SDG Alignment

• SDG 4 (Quality Education): Integrating education on healthy relationships into school curricula.
• SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions): Developing innovative, trauma-informed justice responses.
• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): Preventing violence to improve community health outcomes.

Conclusion

Addressing intimate partner violence requires sustained community engagement, adequate funding, systemic reforms, and preventive education. Aligning these efforts with the Sustainable Development Goals ensures a holistic approach to ending gender-based violence and promoting equitable, safe, and healthy communities.

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1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality – The article focuses extensively on gender-based violence, intimate partner violence, and the challenges faced by survivors, which directly relate to achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.
2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – The discussion about mental health services, trauma-informed care, and healing for survivors connects to ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all ages.
3. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions – The article highlights systemic issues, the criminal justice system, and the need for trauma-informed and alternative responses to domestic violence, which relate to promoting peaceful and inclusive societies and access to justice.
4. SDG 1: No Poverty – References to funding challenges, economic struggles of survivors, and the scarcity model in the domestic violence community relate to reducing poverty and economic vulnerability.
5. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – The article touches on marginalized communities, culturally specific organizations, and systemic inequities in funding and support, linking to reducing inequalities within and among countries.
6. SDG 4: Quality Education – Preventive work in schools about healthy relationships and bullying connects to ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities.

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs Identified

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.
   • Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.
2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • Target 3.4: Promote mental health and well-being.
   • Target 3.7: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services.
3. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.
   • Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.
4. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • Target 1.4: Ensure that all men and women have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services.
5. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
6. SDG 4: Quality Education
   • Target 4.7: Ensure that all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including gender equality and human rights.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied to Measure Progress

1. Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence – The article mentions that the number of people abused by intimate partners has not decreased over decades, implying the use of prevalence rates as an indicator (e.g., SDG Indicator 5.2.1: Proportion of women and girls subjected to physical, sexual or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner).
2. Access to Support Services – References to funding challenges, shelter stays, and availability of mental health and advocacy services imply indicators related to the proportion of survivors accessing support services.
3. Funding Levels for Victim Services – Discussion of federal, state, and community funding and its adequacy implies measurement of financial resources allocated to domestic violence prevention and support programs.
4. Education and Prevention Programs – The presence and reach of school-based programs on healthy relationships and bullying suggest indicators measuring the number or proportion of schools implementing such programs.
5. Systemic and Cultural Change – Although harder to quantify, the article implies the need for indicators on trauma-informed systems, alternative justice responses, and community engagement in ending violence.

4. Table: SDGs, Targets and Indicators

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