On Wednesday, August 15th, Rosie Hidalgo made history by being sworn in as the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) at the Department of Justice (DOJ)—the first Latina to hold the position. Rosie’s swearing-in marks an exciting time for OVW, as she is the first senate-confirmed Director in over 11 years.
The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) “provides federal leadership in developing the national capacity to reduce violence against women and administer justice for and strengthen services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.” In her new role, Rosie will lead OVW’s national efforts to address gender-based crimes and expand services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
Rosie’s career is testament to her deep commitment to immigrant survivors of gender-based violence as she has previously worked in partnership and alongside Tahirih. Tahirih’s CEO, Archi Pyati, and Director of Public Policy, Casey Swegman, had the honor of attending Rosie’s swearing in ceremony.
“I was thrilled to witness my long-time colleague and friend Rosie Hidalgo be sworn in as Director of the Office of Violence Against Women—the first Latina in U.S. history to hold the position. Rosie brings a tremendous amount of expertise to the role and a unique appreciation for the barriers faced by immigrant survivors. I am excited to see Rosie’s vision for OVW come to life and to continue our work alongside OVW on behalf of immigrant survivors.” – Archi Pyati, Tahirih CEO
Rosie is a true champion of all survivors, including survivors from marginalized and immigrant communities. We at Tahirih, recognize Rosie’s trailblazing efforts in her previous roles as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor on Gender-Based Violence at the White House Gender Policy Council.
Rosie’s leadership will play a critical role in furthering OVW’s mission of confronting gender-based violence, expanding access to survivor services around the country, and protecting survivors of gender-based violence.
We congratulate Rosie for her historic appointment and are eager to continue working with OVW to improve the systems and services available to immigrant survivors.
Pictured from left to right is Rosie Hidalgo, Archi Pyati, and Casey Swegman at the August 15th swearing-in ceremony.
