Many advocates must adhere to state- and federal-level requirements, such as the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Confidentiality Provision. However, clear guidelines do not exist on how to approach confidentiality across partnerships such as education programs, training programs, and employers. Economic empowerment programs must assist partner organizations to both understand the impact of violence and victimization, while also ensuring that the experiences of survivors are protected. Without this level of care, advocates could leave survivors  vulnerable to revictimization, harassment, or discrimination in the workplace.  

Survivors may come to an economic empowerment program through other community providers who are working with them to meet some of their immediate safety or basic needs. Building relationships with these providers, as well as other key partners, including employers, educators, workforce development, and other community resources helping survivors meet their basic needs, provides a holistic framework that enhances the outcomes of economic empowerment programs. 

Successful economic empowerment programs require a strengths-based approach that recognizes the inherent skills, talents, and potential within each survivor. Often, advocates focus on mitigating barriers or feel challenged when “survivors don’t have experience in a certain career,” which focuses on deficits and can limit creativity and imagination in supporting survivors in accomplishing their career goals. Social factors well beyond the control of survivors –such as poverty and abuse – may have impacted their ability to define their interests and goals. Programs should recognize that their role is to support survivors in a challenging point in time in the survivor’s life.

By helping survivors identify and enhance existing skills, nurturing self-confidence, and investing in career exploration and financial planning opportunities, program staff can build relationships with survivors that foster empowerment. By individualizing programs and plans, program staff can encourage survivors to take ownership of their financial plans and career paths. This ownership returns agency to survivors, fostering meaningful and long-term opportunities for career development, exploration, and economic advancement they may have never experienced or have been limited from pursuing.

Transparency builds trust and feelings of safety for participants. Building transparency in economic empowerment programs serving survivors is vital for ensuring that participants feel informed, respected, and empowered throughout the program. When survivors are fully informed about eligibility criteria, services available, expectations, and potential outcomes of participating, they can make informed decisions about their involvement and can increase their preparedness in successfully completing program activities. If organizations offer program options for survivors to pursue, those options should be communicated, and the survivor’s choices should be highlighted. Additionally, survivors should be made aware of program benefits such as compensation or additional wraparound supports.

Survivors are experts in their own lives. They best understand their strengths, needs, fears, desires, and dreams. A guiding principle for successful economic empowerment programs is to ensure that survivors’ voices and choices are at the forefront, guiding the design and implementation of the program. Many programs, especially those focused on workforce development, limit options to a specific career pathway, industry, or employer. They may also push individuals into education, training, or employment when they are not ready. Additionally, certain program policies may unintentionally mirror the power and control survivors have experienced. There are many factors that impact survivors’ well-being that are outside of their control, and programming should be responsive to the realities that survivors face.

To break these harmful patterns, programs must provide robust options, integrate survivors’ input into decision-making, and incorporate their feedback into all aspects of program design. By ensuring survivor voice and choice lead the way, programs can help build trust, increase autonomy, and empower individuals to thrive.