gender based violence

Seven months after our investigation revealed that Puerto Rico’s nine shelters were at risk of closing, the nonprofits that operate them remain financially vulnerable as government aid remains temporary and fragmented.

The federal funding cut that organizations warned the Office of the Women’s Advocate about last year went unaddressed — and it is now triggering a fiscal crisis for the groups that serve as the first line of support for women survivors and their children.

Reports from several U.S. states show that laws similar to Puerto Rico’s Senate Bill 504 have led to the criminalization of medical emergencies, the denial of essential health care, and increased state surveillance of pregnant people.

Despite being appointed without public hearings or the support of feminist organizations, Astrid Piñeiro Vázquez says she’s determined to maintain her independence from Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González Colón, whom she is tasked with holding accountable. The position, which Piñeiro Vázquez assumed on March 31, carries a 10-year term.

Puerto Rico Women’s Advocate Astrid Piñeiro Vázquez said she trusts that the proposed federal funding cuts will be smaller than anticipated, that the Puerto Rico Legislature will increase her office’s budget, and that citizens will step up with donations to organizations serving survivors of gender-based violence.

Since Hurricane Fiona struck September 18, the government of Puerto Rico has held more than a dozen press conferences, but in none has it provided information that helps victims and survivors of gender-based violence get specialized aid they need during the emergency, when they are most vulnerable.