Walk into any neighborhood in New York City and you’ll find them: the hair salons, nail spots, threading studios and small beauty businesses where people go not just to look good, but to feel like themselves again. For many survivors of gender-based violence, these are some of the only places they can go to alone – without a partner watching, questioning or controlling their every move. A simple salon appointment can be one of the few moments in their week where they feel safe enough to breathe, talk and ask for help.

As a City Council, we took a major step this June to better support survivors by establishing a new, dedicated stream of funding for culturally specific gender-based violence service providers. We set aside $3 million to strengthen nonprofits in all five boroughs that are

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