Legal Services and Advocacy for Immigrant Women and Girls Fleeing Gender-based Violence

The Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program (Byrne Discretionary Program) helps local communities improve the capacity of local justice systems and provides for national support efforts. This project is authorized and funded through a line item in the FY 08 Congressional Budget. Funds should be used for purposes recommended by Congress.

The Tahirih Justice Center (Tahirih) is a faith-based organization in Northern Virginia with almost eleven years of experience providing high-quality, multicultural legal services to immigrant women and girls in the Washington, DC area who face gender-based violence. Tahirih will continue and increase its provision of culturally competent, client-centered, holistic legal services to immigrant women and girls from a wide range of ethnic communities who are victims of violence. They will address the needs of a rapidly growing, underserved, highly vulnerable population of battered immigrant women and girls who cannot afford life-saving legal representation. Tahirih will engage in activities to promote the implementation of the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA) and protect foreign women who are abused by men they meet through international marriage brokers (commonly referred to as 'mail-order bride' agencies). Tahirih will strengthen their ability to better serve immigrant women and girls fleeing violence.

NCA/NCF