Women's Safety

The Mayor’s Office of Women’s Advancement is committed to supporting all aspects of women and girls safety.

Page Sections

Our focus includes:

Violence Prevention
Gender Based Violence
Grants

Have questions? Contact:

Women's Advancement
617-635-3138
1 City Hall Square

Room 806

Boston, MA 02201-2025
OFFICE HOURS

Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Part of the Solution Mini Grant

By funding these programs, the City of Boston aims to promote the safety of all residents through education and healthy skill development.

Timeline and Important Dates

Application Launch Date: November 17, 2025
Application Deadline: Wednesday, January 7, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.
- Additional Funding: MOWA is simultaneously accepting applications for the Women and Girls Mental Health Mini-Grant. The submission deadline for both grant opportunities is Wednesday, January 7, 2026 at 5:00 p.m..
Review Period: January 2026
Award Notification: February 2026
Grant Period (grant-funded activities must be completed by this date): June 30, 2026

Learn More & Apply

Upcoming Events

Guides

Sexual and Domestic abuse Services in Boston

24 Hour Crisis Lines

Name	Service	Phone Number
Boston Area Rape Crisis Center	Sexual Assault	800-841-8371
Llamanos	Spanish Language Sexual Assault	800-223-5001
SafeLink	Domestic Violence	877-785-2020

Sexual Violence Community Based Programs

Name	Number	Chat
Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC)	Cambridge: 800-841-8371	Hotline Chat

Domestic Violence Community Based Programs

Name	Contact
Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence (ATASK)	24-Hour Multilingual Helpline: 617-338-2355
Association of Haitian Women in Boston	Dorchester: 617-287-0096
Brookview	Dorchester: 617-869-5875
Casa Myrna	Boston: 877-785-2020 (SafeLink) Chat
Community Advocacy Program of CCHERS	Boston: 617-373-4591
DOVE, Inc.	Quincy: 888-314-3683
FINEX House	Jamaica Plain: 617-288-1054 (Also TTY)
HarborCOV	Chelsea: 617-884-9909
On The Rise, Inc.	Cambridge: 617-497-7968
Our Deaf Survivors Center	978-451-7225 (Cultural Broker) National Deaf Hotline: 1-855-812-1001
RESPOND Inc.	Somerville: 617-623-5900
SAHELI: Friendship for South Asian Women	866-472-4354
Stone House	Jamaica Plain: 617-409-5425
The Network/ La Red Ending partner abuse in LGBQ/T, SM and Poly communities	PH: 617-742-4911/ TTY: 800-832-1901
The Second Step	Newton: 617-965-3999
Transition House	Cambridge: 617-661-7203
Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry	Roxbury: 617-566-6881

Dual Sexual and Domestic Violence Programs

Name	Contact
Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers. (MAPS)	Boston, Cambridge and Somerville: 617-864-7600
Violence Recovery Program (Fenway Health)	Boston: 617-927-6250

Hospital-Based Programs

Name	Contact
AWAKE Program (Boston Children’s Hospital) - DV	Boston: 617-355-6369
Boston Medical Center Domestic Violence Program - DV	Boston: 617-414-5457
Center for Violence Prevention and Recovery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center – S/DV	Boston: 617-667-8141
HAVEN at MGH - DV	Boston: 617-724-0054
Passageway at Brigham & Women’s Hospital - DV	Boston: 617-732-8753

Legal Services for Victims/Survivors

Name	Contact
Greater Boston Legal Services	617-371-1234
Victim Rights Law Center	617 399-6720 x19

Information/Support to prevent harm

Name	Information
Common Purpose	(Dorchester, Jamaica Plain groups) 455 Arborway Jamaica Plain, MA 02130-3623 Phone: 617-522-6500 Fax: 617-522-6595
Emerge	(Cambridge, Jamaica Plain (Spanish) groups) 2464 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 101 Cambridge, MA 02140 Phone: 617-547-9879 Spanish Phone: 617-652-0150
MASOC–for a world of free of sexual harm by youth	MASOC’s mission is to ensure that children and adolescents with problematic or abusive sexual behaviors live healthy, safe, and productive lives. We strive to prevent sexually abusive behaviors in these youth by training professionals and educating the community about developmentally appropriate interventions,evidence-based treatment, and effective public policies. Link to directory of treatment providers.
Massachusetts Association for the Treatment of Sex Offenders (MATSA)	MATSA is a non-profit local chapter of the national parent organization formed in 1995 to promote responsible assessment and treatment practices for adults with problematic sexual interests, behavior, or offending. Link to directory of treatment providers.
Stop it. Now!	Helpline provides free, confidential, and direct support and information to individuals with questions or concerns about child sexual abuse. Massachusetts: 1-888-PREVENT Chat: stopitnow.org/contact-helpline
WhatsOK	Website and helpline that offers free, confidential support and resources to youth and young adults with concerns about thier own or a friend’s sexual thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Chat: whatsok.org/ask Text WHATSOK to 1-888-532-0550
10 to 10 Helpline	A confidential, anonymous helpline for people who want to stop using abuse and control in their intimate relationships. Massachusetts: 877-898-3411 (10 a.m. – 10 p.m.) Email: thehelpline1010@gmail.com

Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation Resources

National Human Trafficking Hotline

1-888-373-7888 | Text 233733 (Befree)

Live Chat humantraffickinghotline.org/chat

Toll-free hotline, available to answer calls, texts, emails, and live chats from anywhere in the United States, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in more than 200 languages.

Boston Area Rape Crisis Center

Website: barcc.org | Phone (24-hr hotline): 800-841-8371

Free and confidential support and services to survivors of sexual violence ages 12 and up and their families and friends.

LIFT (Living in Freedom Together)

Website: liftworcester.org | Phone: 508-762-9660

LIFT is a nonprofit organization in Worcester committed to ending the sex trade and end systems of prostitution through the implementation of the Equality Model. Services include youth mentoring, support services connec- tions, a drop in center, and a recovery home for survivors of substance use and mental health disorders.

GIFT (Gaining Independence for Tomorrow)

Website: roxburyyouthworks.org Phone: 617-474-2101

Trauma-informed, intensive Life Coach model for girls/young women 12-21 years old. Life Coaches support and guide participants throughout their recovery from commercial sexual exploitation.

Amirah, Inc

Website: amirahinc.org | Phone: 781-462-1758

Aftercare, resources, and opportunities for women who have survived different forms of sexual exploitation, sex trafficking, and prostitution including residential recovery opportunities.

Eva Center (Education, Vision, Activism)

Website: evacenter.org | Phone: 617-779-2133

The EVA Center is survivor led and provides a wide range of continuous and comprehensive services for women exploited through prostitution and sex trafficking.

My Life My Choice

Website: mylifemychoice.org | Phone: 617-396-7807

My Life My Choice provides a continuum of survivor-led services aimed at ending the commercial sexual exploitation of children. These services include mentoring, intensive case management, mental health services, and group work, as well as prevention education, professional training, and advocacy. My Life My Choice serves youth of all genders.

BUILD (Being United in Leading Our Destiny)

Website: roxburyyouthworks.org Phone: 617-514-6090

BUILD applies the successful model developed at GIFT, but exclusively serves cisgender males, transgender and gender nonconforming youth who are victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation and/or sexual assault or are at high risk of becoming victims. BUILD has an outreach component in which the Outreach Life Coaches engage youth in areas and programs where runaway and homeless youth gather. BUILD also provides drop in hours for its youth.

Coalitions

The Equality Model in MA (EMMA)

The EMMA Coalition is led by survivor-of-prostitution leaders that are also founders of exit programs and leaders throughout the state along with advo- cates, key stakeholders and organizations advocating for specific legislation in support of sex trade survivors.

SUPPORT TO END EXPLOITATION NOW (SEEN)

A program of the Suffolk County Child Advocacy Center, the SEEN Coalition is a partnership of more than 35 public and private agencies in the belief that collaboration yields positive outcomes for child victims of commercial sexual exploitation (CSEC).

Education and Information

DEMAND ABOLITION

Demand Abolition is committed to eradicating the illegal commercial sex industry in the US—and, by extension, the world—by combating the demand for purchased sex.

POLARIS PROJECT

Data, resources, information, reports, and policy efforts to address human trafficking nationwide.

Legal Services

ASCENTRIA IMMIGRATION LEGAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WORCESTER

Phone: 774-243-3045

Aftercare, resources, and opportunities to women who have survived different forms of sexual exploitation, sex trafficking, and prostitution including residential recovery opportunities.

NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY, IMMIGRANT JUSTICE CLINIC

Website: Phone: 617-373-6802 | Email: Hemanth C. Gundavaram h.gundavaram@neu.edu

BU SCHOOL OF LAW, IMMIGRANTS RIGHTS AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Email: lclinic2@bu.edu Phone: 617-353-2807

Legal services for trafficking survivors, including immigration legal services, victim rights advocacy, record clearing, and civil legal assistance. We also provide referrals to survivor-led and victim services agencies locally as well as technical assistance about legal issues.

GREATER BOSTON LEGAL SERVICES

CIVIL LEGAL AID FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME (CLAVC)

LAWYERS CLEARING HOUSE, CORI SEALING AND EXPUNGEMENT CLINIC

Care in a Chair

Turning every beauty space into a safe space

Care in the Chair trains beauty professionals to recognize the signs of domestic violence and human trafficking and connect clients with resources safely and compassionately.

They provide hands-on training, printable resources, and ongoing support so that salons, barbershops, and spas can serve as trusted community hubs for healing and awareness.

Learn More