REDMOND – Sen. Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond) on Wednesday hosted a virtual town hall on solutions for domestic violence survivors.
The discussion featured special guest experts Grace Huang, Director of Policy, Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence; Riddhi Mukhopadhyay, Executive Director, Sexual Violence Law Center; and Sandra Shanahan, Program Manager, King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office – Regional Domestic Violence Firearms Enforcement Unit.
“We have a continual duty to help survivors reclaim their lives and move forward in a positive way,” said Dhingra. “We must ensure that survivors are empowered to choose how best to protect themselves from their abusers and make sure that the court system gives them all the tools they need to protect themselves. That means we have to listen to the voices of those most affected.”
The discussion included an overview of improvements the Legislature made to civil protection orders by passing HB 1320 in 2021, as well as a preview of potential future measures to address coercive control, a strategy abusers use to oppress and instill fear.
A recording of the town hall can be viewed online here.
