4 Women In Victim Services You Should Know

While March isn’t a specific awareness month for victims of crime, we know that women have made a long-lasting impact on the field. So, to honor WHM this March, we’re going to take a brief moment to talk about some impactful women in victim services!

Betsy Warrior and Valle Jones

When we talk about domestic violence services as they exist today, we can’t do it without Betsy and Valle. Consider two of the most influential feminists in domestic violence awareness, Betsy and Valle laid the groundwork for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. One of the first coalitions dedicated to bringing awareness to and eradication of domestic violence, the NCADV is the premier organization focused on the issue. Not only does the NCADV support survivors and their families, but it provides additional support for advocates and other professionals through training. Both women continue their push for social justice and advocacy in women’s issues today.

Matilda ‘Tillie’ Black Bear

Tillie was known by many as the Grandmother of the Battered Women’s Movement. Even though she passed in 2014, her impact continues today. She served as the first woman of color to chair a national DV organization, and advocated tirelessly for the inclusion of indigenous women in national legislation concerning domestic violence. From her assistance in establishing the South Dakota Coalition Against Domestic Violence to her participation in the founding of the White Buffalo Calf Woman Society, she left her mark across the nation. Her work reminds advocates and other professionals that victim advocacy is intersectional and diverse - and it needs to accurately represent those it affects.

Lois Haight Herrington

Retired Judge Lois Haight Herrington was one of the two women on President Reagan’s Task Force on Victims of Crime. She was influential in the encouragement for Congress to adopt the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), which has provided funding for a majority of victim service programs. Her work continued after the Task Force, when she served as an Assistant USAG from 1983 - 1986. She went on to preside as one of the judges on the Contra Costa Superior Court in California from 1993 until her retirement in 2019.

Charlotte Hullinger

In the late 1970s, Lisa Hullinger was murdered by her ex-boyfriend. Her parents, Charlotte and Robert, later established Parents of Murdered Children. PoMC focuses on providing support for parents of homicide victims, mainly through support groups. Charlotte’s dedication to ensuring parents of murdered children have an outlet and network to navigate their grief not only set the standard for progressing attitudes towards homicide victims, but it also provided an opportunity for grieving parents and the general public to get a glimpse at the struggles parents of homicide victims face.

These women dedicated their lives to bringing awareness to the traumas of victims and advocating for their inclusion in the criminal justice system. Today, hundreds of women continue to advocate for victims of crime in their name, whether by working for non-profits, law enforcement, state agencies, or local victim/witness programs. This March, take a minute to thank your women advocates for all they do.