CIVIC-PG Track B: Advancing Health Equity in Western Kansas Rural Communities Affected by Gender-Based Violence: A Survivor-Centered Advocacy Approach

Gender-based violence is a pervasive public health issue, particularly in rural communities where access to support services is often limited. This project aims to address these gaps in health equity for survivors by implementing survivor-centered interventions that mobilize existing community resources, identify local leaders, and enhance economic opportunities and employment. The primary focus of this project is creating a network of support by empowering local leaders and volunteers who can connect organizations and other community members and networks. This approach will help build collaborative and coordinated responses to survivors that address immediate needs and promote long-term stability and independence. The project is also developing community-based support groups to improve access to healthcare, financial assistance, and housing support. The ultimate aim is to generate solutions that can be scaled and adapted to similar settings nationwide, fostering organizational connections and creating pathways for financial stability. This project aligns with NSF’s mission to promote the progress of science, engineering, and education by contributing to broader research on health equity and violence prevention. The primary goal of this project is to develop and implement participant action-oriented and survivor-centered interventions to improve health equity for gender-based violence survivors in rural communities. In Stage 1, the team is conducting extensive stakeholder consultations, listening sessions, and community engagement activities to gather insights and identify key community leaders and civic partners. It is mobilizing community resources to identify facilitators, including local leaders and volunteers, who can connect organizations, individuals, and community leaders, fostering ongoing collaboration. It is forming a volunteer task force and establishing a community leader forum to better utilize local resources. Employment training, apprenticeship programs, and financial assistance initiatives are planned to support survivors’ economic independence. These efforts will culminate in a Stage 2 project aimed at creating a collaboration across providers, nonprofits, and volunteers, and a health equity assessment toolkit, utilizing the information gathered in Stage 1 to further enhance health equity in rural communities. This project is in response to the Civic Innovation Challenge program’s Track B. Bridging the gap between essential resources and services & community needs and is a collaboration between NSF, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Energy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.