VAWA stands for the Violence Against Women Act. Enacted in 1994 and reauthorized several times since, VAWA is a federal law designed to improve criminal justice and community-based responses to domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and other forms of gender-based violence.

Key points about VAWA:

• Purpose: Strengthen protections for victims of domestic violence and related crimes, improve law enforcement and prosecution responses, and provide services and funding for victim support.

• Scope: Although the name references women, VAWA protects all victims of domestic violence and related offenses regardless of gender.

• Immigration-related provisions: VAWA includes special protections for certain immigrants who are victims of domestic violence.