Pilipina Program

Hawaii continues to witness the loss of women’s lives at the hands of their intimate partners and a disproportionate number of the women are of Filipino ancestry. Many battered Filipino women fortunate to escape tragic and senseless deaths are nevertheless trapped in vicious cycles of abuse, brutality and degradation. The Domestic Violence Action Center is committed to changing this devastating reality through the Pilipina Rural Project, which is supported by the Hawaii Department of the Attorney General with a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women.

Our Mission and History
The Pilipina Rural Project (PRP) was conceived to design and deliver culturally responsive services to Filipina survivors and their families through bilingual/bicultural advocacy and case management. Comprehensive outreach and education was conducted from 2002 through 2009 throughout Oahu and Maui County with the goal of empowering affected individuals and stakeholders to address domestic violence on their own terms. Funding expired in October of 2009.

From its inception in November 2002, PRP hosted a number of major public forums to promoting awareness of violence against women and children. Hundreds of stakeholders have gathered at PRP sponsored events such as the first-ever Filipino conference on domestic violence in 2004, the Filipino women leadership development summit in 2003 and 2004, the “Pinay Vagina Monologues” in 2005 and the “Voices of Men” in 2008 (both in partnership with Domestic Violence Actions Center’s Teen Alert Program). Numerous trainings, workshops, and presentations were conducted for various entities, including many social and civic organizations, religious groups, high schools and colleges, and multidisciplinary and community-based service agencies. PRP aims for active community participation and engagement by building partnerships and alliances in the non-profit, governmental, private, and faith-based sectors.

Currently Our Services Include:

• Bilingual and bicultural advocacy and case management services to battered Filipino women and their families
• Educational presentations to various stakeholders on the prevalence and impact of domestic violence
• Alliances with grassroots and community-based entities to promote partnerships and an improved community response