Sonya Passi
Ashoka Fellow since 2019   |   United States

Sonya Passi

FreeFrom
Financial insecurity is the number one threat to an abuse survivor’s safety. Sonya is transforming the domestic violence movement from a mindset of crisis response to a focus on stability-building by…
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This description of Sonya Passi's work was prepared when Sonya Passi was elected to the Ashoka Fellowship in 2019.

Introduction

Financial insecurity is the number one threat to an abuse survivor’s safety. Sonya is transforming the domestic violence movement from a mindset of crisis response to a focus on stability-building by bringing together the domestic violence and asset building movements.

The New Idea

Sonya Passi is working to transform the way we address domestic violence in the US, from a short-term, crisis intervention, band-aids approach toward a focus on long-term recovery and safety for survivors, their families, and their communities. She is doing this by pinpointing financial insecurityRead more

The Problem

The Center for Disease Control estimates that one in four women in the U.S. will experience intimate partner abuse in their lifetime. Financial insecurity is the number one cited reason survivors stay with or return to their abuser, and domestic violence remains the leading cause of homelessnessRead more

The Strategy

FreeFrom believes in the creativity, resourcefulness and power that each survivor has to achieve financial independence, and to build communities that support individual, intergenerational and collective healing. Their holistic strategy is responsive to the needs of survivors and supports theirRead more

The Person

Sonya grew up, like most of us, in and around abuse of different kinds. She watched her aunt start a business out of necessity to make ends meet and put food on the table because of domestic violence and watched many other adults around her stay in abusive situations out of financial necessity.Read more

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