Pathways to Opportunity

Pathways to Opportunity is an initiative aimed at addressing the barriers that survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sexual harassment face when seeking and maintaining employment. With our partners, Corporation for a Skilled Workforce and Women Employed, we train regional teams that consist of an educational organization, a victim service organization, and a workforce development organization to collaborate and build employment pathways for survivors.

The Problem

A recent report released in partnership with the National Domestic Violence Hotline found that:

• 79% of domestic violence survivors,
• 35% of stalking survivors,
• 27% of sexual assault survivors, and
• 25% of dating violence survivors
  said that experiencing violence made it more difficult for them to work. At the same time,
• 53% said they didn’t inform their employer about their abuse for fear of discrimination, job loss, or workplace retaliation.

Our Approach

Building employment pathways for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sexual harassment requires more than any single system can provide. By promoting cross-sector collaboration between victim services, education, and workforce development providers, we can create safer and more accessible employment opportunities for survivors. The Pathways to Opportunity Initiative creates regional partnerships that enable organizations to collaborate in improving employment outcomes for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and harassment.

Learn More

Check out our website or email us at pathways@futureswithoutviolence.org

This project is supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-24-GK-06128-NRCW awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed herein or in any materials herein, are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.