Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 40, Number 4, 1 April 2023 — Native Hawaiian Gender-Based Violence [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Native Hawaiian Gender-Based Violence

V LEO 'ELELE ^ trustee messages *

In January, I attended a roundtable discussion hosted by U.S. Sen. Mazie K. Hirono at OHA with organizations supporting Native Hawaiian women and Native Hawaiian survivors of gen-der-based violence. Presented were the challenges these organizations face, the need to better combat this epidemic, and ways we ean support Native Hawaiian survivors. The roundtable included representatives from OHA, Hawai'i

State Commission on Status of Women (HSCSW), Partners in Development Foundation, and Hale Kipa. I would also like to recognize the bravery of survivors Kalei Grant and Ashley Maha'a for sharing their harrowing experiences and acknowledge all the good work they do to find solutions. OHA is working to safeguard Native Hawaiian women, children and families through both state and federal initiatives. OHA works with HSCSW, administering a Task Force to study Missing and Murdered Native Hawaiian Women and Girls (MMNHWG), whieh includes represen-

tatives ffom over 22 Hawai'i organizations. On March 8, OHA Chair Hulu Lindsey testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs requesting that | Native Hai waiians be included in any

federal legislation or funding to combat human trafhcking in Indigenous communities. According to the 2022 Missing and Murdered Native Hawaiian Women and Girls Task Force Report: • More than a V\ of missing girls in Hawai'i are Native Hawaiian; • The average profile of a missing child: 15-year-old, female, Native Hawaiian, from O'ahu; • 43% of sex trafhcking cases are Kānaka Maoli girls trafhcked in

Waikiki, O'ahu; • On Hawai'i Island, Kānaka Maoli ehildren ages 15-17 represent the highest number of missing children's cases, with the most children reported missing in Hilo (area code 96720); • From 2018-2021, there were 182 cases of missing Kānaka Maoli girls on Hawai'i Island, higher than any other raeial group; • 57% of participants served through the Mana'olana Program at Child & Family Services are Native Hawaiian females who have experienced human trafhcking. In December, President Biden signed in to law legislation introduced by Hirono to allow Native Hawaiian survivors of gender-based violence to access critieal programs and resources provided by Congress through the Violence Against Women Act. There is a strong need for us to eontinue educating and healing our eommunity. I look forward to further shining a light on this issue through future conversations and community outreach. ■

Kaleihileina Akaka Trustee, O'ahu

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono (left) and Trustee Akaka. - Courtesy Photos

Sen. Hirono's roundtoble discussion wos ottended by OHA trustees Akoko, Alopo ond Souza, OHA CE0 Dr. Sylvia Hussey, representotives of loeol orgonizations working to support Notive Howoiion women, ond survivors of gender-bosed violence.