Who We Are

The DGBVPI engages and mobilizes Cambridge’s communities, agencies, and City departments to change attitudes, behaviors, policies, and practices to prevent and bring attention to domestic and gender-based violence. Services include training, consultation, building collaborations across various sectors in Cambridge, and coordination of systems of change in order to ensure compassionate and supportive environments for survivors of domestic and gender-based violence across the city.

We work collaboratively to raise awareness and craft prevention and intervention strategies that are tailored to the group/organization we are working with. The work of the Initiative is flexible and responsive to evolving DGBV challenges and their impact on the Cambridge community. We believe that innovation is key to changing outcomes.  

The Guiding Principles of the Initiate are that the work of the Initiative will:

• be informed by a broad range of Cambridge communities with particular emphasis on communities of color and non-English speaking language groups traditionally underrepresented in decision-making leadership; also essential to a strong and informed collaborative are youth and GLBTQ communities
• recognize that gender-based violence is connected to societal sexism and unequal power in relationships and as such, see men’s participation as essential to the work as advancing women’s empowerment and dignity
• collaborate with survivors to develop strategies and resources that consider their safety and well-being
• engage youth to challenge narrow gender roles and redefine relationships
• view gender-based violence holistically and acknowledge economic, racial and social injustice as well as the pervasive presence of violence
• be framed by multi-cultural perspectives that invite innovative, creative ideas and engage in restorative approaches
• rely on deeply formed partnerships as well as foster expanded relationships with City departments, agencies, community groups and grassroots organizations
• commit to continually evaluate our efforts and progress