BAWAR Bay Area Women Against R*pe is the first nationally recognized r*pe crisis center and the oldest continuing sexual assault response agency in the nation.

10/17/2024

We are so excited to invite you on our journey! 🌷 BAWAR is becoming BRAVE Bay Area

Hello, Beloved Community! We are writing to share the news of some exciting changes on the horizon for BAWAR. In the com...
06/07/2024

Hello, Beloved Community! We are writing to share the news of some exciting changes on the horizon for BAWAR. In the coming weeks, we will be pausing some of our socials but it's only so we can put the final touches on something BIG! Even as we work behind the scenes, know that we are still here for you - on the hotline and in-person. Thank you in advance for your patience and support and see you in July 💗

¡Hola querida comunidad! Le escribimos para compartir la noticia de algunos cambios interesantes en el horizonte para BAWAR. En las próximas semanas, pausaremos algunas de nuestras redes sociales, ¡pero es solo para que podamos darle los toques finales a algo GRANDE! Incluso mientras trabajamos detrás de escena, sepa que todavía estamos aquí para ayudarlo, en la línea directa y en persona. Gracias de antemano por su paciencia y apoyo y nos vemos en julio 💗

Gavin, where you at??? Governor Newsom, it's your turn to stand on business and approve this $103 million allocation in ...
05/31/2024

Gavin, where you at??? Governor Newsom, it's your turn to stand on business and approve this $103 million allocation in the budget. We believe in you, prove us right.

Dear Community, Next week, we will be gathering as a team to spend some time in gratitude, reflection, and restorative p...
05/19/2024

Dear Community,
Next week, we will be gathering as a team to spend some time in gratitude, reflection, and restorative practice around this powerful work we are honored to do. We will also be taking a day to provide our Sexual Assault Advocates with a training intensive.Thank you for holding space for us as we connect, collect, and reflect - together!

Our hotline will remain open and available while we are away, so give us a call 24/7 at 510-800-4247 to be connected with a trained hotline counselor.

We look forward to re-opening our physical sites in Oakland and San Leandro on Thursday, May 23rd.

Artist:   May 5th is National  Missing And Murdered Indigenous Persons Day   In 2017, Senators Steve Daines and Jon Test...
05/05/2024

Artist:
May 5th is National Missing And Murdered Indigenous Persons Day

In 2017, Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester from Montana introduced a resolution recognizing May 5, as a National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls. It was in response to the murder of Hanna Harris on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation and other abductions and killings of Native women across the United States. Since 2017, actions on May 5th to honor MMIW at the local, regional, and national level continue to grow across the United States and internationally. These efforts are as varied as the Indian Nations, where they are being organized. The silence of tolerance and inaction is being challenged.

In the Bay Area and Alameda County, specifically - we live and breathe on Ohlone Costonoan Chochenyo and Muwekma lands and look to the stewards of the land and culture bearers like and for their leadership but we also hold own responsibility to ensure the safety and protection of all survivors, especially our Indigenous femmes and trans relatives impacted by gendered violence.

Posted  •  In the event of a non-violent, non-emergency situation, you can now call these civilian responders directly a...
04/29/2024

Posted •
In the event of a non-violent, non-emergency situation, you can now call these civilian responders directly at 510-446-2276.

Until now, the program has relied on 911 dispatchers to divert calls to Oakland Fire Department, which then referred to MACRO responders. However, this method was only diverting a fraction of calls from OPD to MACRO, even though the need for their services was higher.

When you call, a dispatcher will ask some initial questions to confirm if the situation is appropriate for a MACRO responder. Since MACRO responders are not police, responders are not able to be dispatched to emergencies or situations where someone is being violent or carrying a weapon. They are also not able to set foot inside of private property, such as a business or home.

They now operate across all of Oakland, with current hours 6:30am-1:45pm (seven days a week), and 2:00-10:00pm as staffing permits.

With the goal of eventually having increased funding and scope, they hope to become 24/7.

Email is also an effective way to get a hold of them at [email protected] . When emailing MACRO, make the subject: "Request for Service @ Address/Location + Incident Type" and in the body of the email include a description of the incident, any relevant history and if possible, a picture.

What is MACRO?

The Mobile Assistance Community Responders of Oakland (MACRO) is a civilian response program that was launched in April 2022 in order to divert calls from the police and fire departments that can be better handled by civilians.

These types of calls include behavioral health issues or concerns for a person's mental health and well-being. This makes MACRO a critical tool in Oakland, where our 911 system has struggled to respond quickly to emergency calls partly due to the high volume of non-emergency requests.

For more information, see their website oaklandca.gov/projects/macro-mobile-assistance-community-responders-of-oakland

It's   in Alameda County and BAWAR's Project SIREN (Students Invested in Reshaping Environments Now!) was proud to join ...
04/23/2024

It's in Alameda County and BAWAR's Project SIREN (Students Invested in Reshaping Environments Now!) was proud to join fellow members of the Mayor's Advisory Council on Human Trafficking and Oakland Unified School District to raise awareness and share vital information with students at Fremont High this morning.

Thank you to Supervisor Lena Tam and the Board of Supervisors for proclaiming April 22-28, 2024 as Sexually Exploited Mi...
04/16/2024

Thank you to Supervisor Lena Tam and the Board of Supervisors for proclaiming April 22-28, 2024 as Sexually Exploited Minor Awareness Week in Alameda County. BAWAR was proud to accept this acknowledgement alongside the team from SHADE Movement. We appreciate the commitment to raising awareness around the prevalence of human trafficking in our County and look forward to even more intentional partnership with the BOS to ensure that youth communities are prioritized when resources are made available and budget allocations are being made.

Thank you to the  City Council for recognizing and commemorating April as     is about letting survivors know they are n...
04/16/2024

Thank you to the City Council for recognizing and commemorating April as is about letting survivors know they are not alone and inviting the community into the work to disrupt and prevent cycles of harm.

Every year, Advocates across 380 programs provide life-saving services to nearly 820,000 Californians who have been the ...
04/05/2024

Every year, Advocates across 380 programs provide life-saving services to nearly 820,000 Californians
who have been the target of violent crime.

Due to shortfalls in the Victims of Crime Act budget, we all face drastic cuts to the services we provide.

Crisis hotlines, bedside advocacy, emergency intervention, and court support are just a few of the free public safety resources provided by programs funded by VOCA.

Legislators, Help us save lives.

Fund VOCA at $200 Million.



Today, we celebrate   with our community across Alameda County and the internet. You are seen, you are loved, you are im...
03/31/2024

Today, we celebrate with our community across Alameda County and the internet. You are seen, you are loved, you are important.

Ramadan starts this week and many of the youth spaces we support will have students observing so we wanted to share some...
03/10/2024

Ramadan starts this week and many of the youth spaces we support will have students observing so we wanted to share some reminders we will be taking into account at BAWAR.

  means including men and masc folks in your service modelsWhen we include male/masc survivors, survivors with trans exp...
02/28/2024

means including men and masc folks in your service models

When we include male/masc survivors, survivors with trans experience, and non-binary survivors, we dispel and deconstruct harmful stereotypes that perpetuate and encourage more violence.


Creer en sobrevivientes significa incluir a hombres y personas masculinas en tus modelos de servicio.

Cuando incluimos a sobrevivientes masculinos/masc, con experiencia trans y sobrevivientes no binarios, disipamos y deconstruimos estereotipos dañinos que perpetúan y alientan más violencia.

  means upholding consent culture in the workplace.Even organizations that are not publicly survivor-led are survivor-bu...
02/21/2024

means upholding consent culture in the workplace.

Even organizations that are not publicly survivor-led are survivor-built so honoring consent in conversation, processes, and policies can only enhance a "whole-person" service model.


Creer en los sobrevivientes significa defender la cultura del consentimiento en el lugar de trabajo.

Incluso las organizaciones que no están dirigidas públicamente por sobrevivientes están construidas por sobrevivientes, por lo que respetar el consentimiento en las conversaciones, procesos y políticas sólo puede mejorar un modelo de servicio "integral".

  means demonstrating interest, not investigating crimeAs service providers, our role is ensure that survivors can parti...
02/13/2024

means demonstrating interest, not investigating crime

As service providers, our role is ensure that survivors can participate in a legal investigation but we are not tasked with fact-finding or uncovering evidence.

Creer a los supervivientes significa demostrar interés, no investigar el crimen

Como proveedores de servicios, nuestra función es garantizar que los sobrevivientes puedan participar en una investigación legal, pero no tenemos la tarea de investigar hechos ni descubrir pruebas.

  honoring a person's storyAs advocates and counselors, saying "I believe you" can help someone know that what they have...
02/06/2024

honoring a person's story
As advocates and counselors, saying "I believe you" can help someone know that what they have to share is valid and important and deserves our time and attention.

Creer en los sobrevivientes significa honrar la historia de una persona.
Como defensores y consejeros, decir "Te creo" puede ayudar a alguien a saber que lo que tiene para compartir es válido e importante y merece nuestro tiempo y atención.

This February, we will be highlighting the importance of   as a core value for community-based organizations like BAWAR....
02/02/2024

This February, we will be highlighting the importance of as a core value for community-based organizations like BAWAR. A simple act of validation can inspire and affirm individuals, groups, families, and whole communities to stand in their power and speak truth into action.

What a powerful day at the first ever C.A.R.E. Symposium at . This inaugural event focused on the Anti-Trafficking Movem...
01/21/2024

What a powerful day at the first ever C.A.R.E. Symposium at . This inaugural event focused on the Anti-Trafficking Movement in the Bay Area. We were a proud sponsor of the event and grateful to be able to have the .survivor.space provide resources to attendees, to learn from the presenters, as well as support our ED, Leah Kimble-Price, LMFT who participated alongside MISSSEY Jennifer Lyle, PhD, on the Allyship panel - discussing the role of service providers, community members and individuals to interrupt societal harm cycles and exploitation pipelines in our community through radical acceptance, reciprocity, and unapologetic love. Thank you to our Board Chair, Dr. Shelitha Campbell for creating this necessary forum and platform for community action with the support of her team at

Want to support our powerful commitment to action for survivors in 2024?! Contribute today through the link in our bio.

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Our Story

From its beginnings in 1971, BAWAR has addressed the issue of sexual violence with two basic goals: 1) to establish a place where sexual assault survivors could receive the quality counseling and advocacy they deserve, and 2) to provide community education regarding sexual violence issues.

Although our name is Bay Area Women Against R**e, we serve anyone affected by sexual violence. BAWAR defines sexual violence by the narratives of the survivors who experienced the violence and we are here to believe and validate the community we serve in a trauma-informed, culturally appropriate and accessible way.

We provide a 24-hour crisis hotline available for anyone needing support in connection with experiencing sexual violence. In addition, we provide in-person counseling at both our Oakland and Fremont office locations. We provide advocacy, support, and accompaniment for medical and reporting processes in the aftermath of a sexual assault. All of our services are available in both Spanish and English.

For over 45 years BAWAR has offered counseling services and advocacy 24 hours a day. We cold not do this without the help of our volunteers and our community.