Advance Policy
For more than 40 years, we have worked to enhance Virginia’s response to and prevention of sexual and domestic violence through advocacy, policy leadership, training, and technical assistance.
We are committed to ensuring that our policy work addresses the urgent needs of victims and promotes a comprehensive approach to responding to and preventing sexual and intimate partner violence.
Our policy work is guided by these core principles:
- We balance promotion of sexual and intimate partner violence prevention and intervention strategies, rely heavily on a practice of innovation, and frame our efforts in the belief that a world without violence is possible.
- We collaborate and engage our members as partners and leaders in our efforts, encourage community work that successfully engages broad collaboration, build bridges across disciplines, and build alliances with organizations seeking common outcomes.
- We address the root causes of sexual and intimate partner violence and promote social change in two vital ways:
- We center the voices and leadership of people impacted by violence and those most marginalized in our work.
- We ensure that our work is guided by a trauma-informed approach to intervention, an asset-building approach to prevention, and grounded in a commitment to racial justice.
Position Statements
The position statements below inform policy leaders, the media, and the general public about issues facing advocates and survivors. Policies that align with these principles help shape and support safe, healthy, and thriving communities throughout the Commonwealth.