Boston, January 22, 2020 – Jane Doe Inc. (JDI), the Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, today announced that Hema Sarang-Sieminski will be the Coalition’s new Policy Director. Most recently a Senior Staff Attorney at the Victim Rights Law Center in Massachusetts, Sarang-Sieminski brings years of experience as an activist, attorney, and advocate working to end gender-based violence and support survivors.
As Policy Director, Sarang-Sieminski will lead JDI’s advocacy efforts and work to build on exciting developments, including an additional $3.5 million in critical funding for sexual and domestic violence services in the last fiscal year and an additional $1 million to support new prevention initiatives led by local sexual and domestic violence programs.
“I am humbled and excited to continue JDI’s work of advocating for survivors through systemic change and will continue to center the voices and experiences of survivors at the intersections of oppression in our policy priorities and directions,” said Sarang-Sieminski.
“We are thrilled to welcome Hema to the JDI team,” said JDI Executive Director Debra Robbin. “Having worked in close partnership with Hema over the years, we know that her skills, experience, expertise, and vision will be invaluable as JDI continues our efforts to increase public understanding of sexual and domestic violence, and to advocate for public policy that reflects the critical intersection of violence, trauma, and oppression that underlies gender-based violence.”
In addition to the Victim Rights Law Center, where she has been since 2017, Sarang-Sieminski has worked with survivors of partner abuse and sexual violence for 15 years in a variety of capacities, including private practice, community engagement in LGBTQ communities with The Network/La Red, and as a Staff Attorney with Greater Boston Legal Services. A member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the MA LGBTQ Bar Association, Sarang-Sieminski was nominated by JDI to receive the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s 2019 Visionary Voice Award, in recognition of her work to end sexual violence.
ABOUT JDI:
JDI (also known as Jane Doe Inc., The Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence) is the only statewide membership and advocacy coalition in Massachusetts dedicated to addressing sexual and domestic violence. We aim to support survivors and end violence by promoting gender equity, racial justice, and safety for everyone. JDI’s mission is to complement and support the expertise and leadership of our community-based member organizations with a statewide strategy involving public and private partners to tackle systemic issues that foster and perpetuate violence, to create policies and explore innovative solutions that improve the lives of survivors, and to prevent gender-based violence.