Cleveland/Akron, Ohio – Asian Services In Action was awarded a two-year grant from the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice to enhance culturally and linguistically specific services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking program in northeastern Ohio. The funding will support the Northeastern Ohio Asian Women’s Leadership Initiative (NALI).

NALI involves a partnership with eight Asian ethnic women’s group, Jewish Family Service Association of Cleveland, YWCA of Greater Cleveland, and the Asian Pacific Islander Women and Family Safety Center (Seattle, WA). The Initiative will:
1) Empower eight Asian immigrant and refugee women’s groups – often the first link to battered women in their respective ethnic communities – by working with groups to develop culturally and linguistically specific strategies and by providing training to the associations’ members so they are equipped to provide outreach and education to victims and their communities;
2) To strengthen the capacity of the region’s only pan-Asian social service agency – Asian Services In Action, Inc. (ASIA), to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate case management, supportive and immigration legal services, and systems advocacy for Asian immigrant and refugee women and their families; and
3) To strengthen Asian ethnic women’s groups and ASIA’s linkages to mainstream providers and court/law enforcement/medical systems to reduce barriers and to create greater points of access for victims.

In the northeastern Ohio region, representing nearly 40% of the state’s population (and 33% of state’s Asian Pacific Islander community), there is currently no domestic violence, sexual assault, and other services that specifically address the needs of Asian Pacific Islander immigrant and refugee women. In the region, it is estimated that 3,575 Asian Pacific Islander women experienced physical assault by an intimate partner at least once during their lifetime; and 2,081 reported having been raped.

“Over the years, victims and their allies have contacted our agency seeking help despite the fact our agency had no formal domestic violence program or services. With support from the Office on Violence Against Women we are now able to meet the needs of Asian women in our community who are victims of domestic violence,” said Michael Byun, ASIA Executive Director.