Women's Health Priority Area Grant (PAG)

MFH recognizes that both poverty and a lack of insurance impact an individual's ability to access health care for themselves and their family. These issues are critical for women in Missouri, who comprise 54 percent of the state's population. Further, 13 percent of Missouri women are living in poverty, and 16.5 percent are uninsured.

MFH has developed the Women's Health Priority Area Grant (PAG) to address the health behavior, prevention, and treatment needs of more than half of the state's population. The goals for Women's Health are to: 1) encourage healthy behaviors, 2) meet the need for services, and 3) contribute to creating healthier communities.

In 2008, MFH is focusing its Women's Health PAG funding on violence against women. In coming years, MFH will address other areas of interest in women's health.

What is Violence Against Women?

MFH is using a definition adopted by the World Health Organization in 1993 to shape this PAG. This definition includes physical, sexual, and psychological violence occurring both in the family and the general community. Examples of this violence include:

• battering,
• rape,
• non-spousal violence, and
• sexual harassment and intimidation at work, school, or elsewhere.

Violence against women has numerous physical and psychological affects such as broken bones, pregnancy difficulties, depression, and behavioral effects including high-risk sexual behaviors and substance abuse.

Missouri Statistics for Violence Against Women

• Missouri ranks among the 10 states with the highest instances of women killed by men.
• According to the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, 1 in 7 women in Missouri have been sexually abused.
• In 2006, Missouri law enforcement agencies reported 39,850 domestic violence incidents, 1,753 rape offenses, and 749 rape arrests.
• Domestic violence incidents have increased by 1,000 since 2005, the highest increase since 1999.
• Fewer than half of Missouri's counties have domestic or sexual violence programs operating within their borders.

Women's Health PAG in 2008

In 2008, MFH's Women's Health PAG seeks to support and expand existing programs that work to provide intervention and prevention services for women who have experienced violence. MFH intends to fund projects that:

• increase knowledge and awareness of violence against women,
• work towards prevention of sexual and domestic violence, and
• increase access to services for victims of sexual and domestic violence.

MFH anticipates its funding will impact this health concern by preventing sexual and domestic violence towards the estimated 2.9 million women in Missouri, as well as by providing health care and services to women who become victims of sexual and domestic violence.

Women's Health Resources

There are several resources for information regarding Women's Health on the national and state levels. Resources suggested by MFH can be found on the MFH Health Resource Directory.

Innovative Funding

Through the Innovative Funding Program, the Women's Health priority grant program will accept concept papers from organizations proposing to conduct a social marketing campaign with a goal of reducing/eliminating the risk of violence against women.

Preference will be given to organizations that:
-Describe innovative strategies
-Demonstrate regional collaboration
-Define a regional target population and geographic coverage within the MFH service area
-Involve substantial community participation throughout the process
-Have a primary prevention focus

The total amount available for this funding strategy is $500,000 over 3 years and MFH anticipates funding 1 (one) program.

Timeline: Submit a 2-3 page concept paper describing the organization, outlining the problem, target population, key program activities, intended outcomes, how success will be defined, additional funding sources, program duration and program cost. After review, MFH will invite select applicants to submit a full proposal.
Concept papers accepted: June 2, 2008 - July 11, 2008
Full proposal due, if invited: September 12, 2008
Anticipated award: November 2008

Questions:

Kathleen Holmes, Program Officer
314.345.5572 (toll-free: 800.655.5560) or
kholmes@mffh.org.

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