Working with UN Women in Jordan to better understand and address the needs of Syrian female refugees in the Za’atari camp, Rana developed advocacy tools on issues of women’s economic empowerment, leadership, and access to resources.... Read more about Rana Abdelhamid

Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA)
Boston, MA

Emeka is working with Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA) in Boston, Massachusetts on a domestic violence project. Collaborating with MOVA and other stakeholders, he is examining the current status of domestic violence and emergency assistance shelter beds in the state of Massachusetts, the state systems engaged in housing/shelter services for victims, the matrix of referral networks, and triage system among state agencies. Consequently, he is developing policy recommendations for regulatory and operational changes to streamline the activities of all agencies involved in the provision of domestic violence shelters. This includes creating a database of all the available shelter options for domestic violence victims, recommending innovative housing options for victims, and developing an efficient referral/triage system for referring and assessing victims specialized needs and risk factors. Through this research the state government is looking to provide a FRESH START to victims of domestic violence since it has been shown that domestic violence shelters are very critical in helping survivors permanently escape violence and increase their economic stability. Also, given the fact that domestic violence is the leading cause of homelessness among women, the lessons learned from the research will be invaluable in improving Governor Baker’s reforms aimed at reducing family homelessness in general in Massachusetts.