Leaving Abuse Shouldn’t Mean Losing Everything

My name is Kimberly Wilson, founder of She Rose Anyway, a platform dedicated to helping women recognize abuse, heal, and rebuild their lives.

I’m starting this petition because I never want another woman to have to struggle alone.

We talk about domestic violence awareness. We encourage women to recognize the warning signs, leave abusive relationships, and reclaim their lives.

But there’s a conversation we aren’t having enough.

What happens after she leaves?

What happens when a woman finally finds the courage to walk away, only to realize she has no savings, no transportation, damaged credit, no childcare, and nowhere to go?

What happens when she has children to feed, rent to pay, and a nervous system that has spent years in survival mode?

What happens when she desperately wants to rebuild her life but cannot afford the basic necessities required to do so?

I know what it feels like to leave a relationship and have to rebuild.

I know what it feels like to lose financial stability, struggle with housing, worry about bills, and wonder how you’re going to provide for your children while trying to recover emotionally.

I know the humiliation of needing help when you’ve spent your life being the person everyone else depended on.

And I know how difficult it can be to heal when your body and mind are consumed with trying to survive another day.

For many survivors, financial insecurity can become one of the greatest barriers to leaving an abusive relationship or remaining safely separated.

Some women have been isolated for years. Some have limited recent employment experience. Some have children with additional needs. Some have lost access to transportation, personal savings, or financial independence.

And some are so emotionally exhausted that simply getting through the day feels overwhelming.

These women do not just need encouragement to leave.

They need the resources to rebuild.

What we are asking for

We are calling on the United States Congress to strengthen and expand nationwide financial recovery resources for domestic violence survivors, including:

1. Emergency financial assistance

Accessible funding for survivors facing immediate financial hardship after leaving abusive relationships, including help with food, housing, utilities, communication, and basic necessities.

2. Housing stability

Expanded access to emergency housing, rental assistance, transitional housing, and programs supporting survivors as they establish independent households.

3. Employment and financial independence

Job training, career development, education, financial literacy, and employment assistance for survivors who have experienced isolation, financial control, or interruptions in their careers.

4. Childcare and transportation

Accessible assistance with childcare and transportation so survivors can attend interviews, maintain employment, pursue education, and care for their families.

5. Mental health and long-term recovery

Expanded access to trauma-informed mental health services, support groups, and recovery programs that recognize the effects of prolonged emotional, psychological, financial, and physical abuse.

6. Easier access to existing resources

Improved coordination between government agencies, domestic violence organizations, and community programs so survivors can find assistance without navigating multiple complicated systems during a crisis.

Why this matters

Leaving an abusive relationship is not always the end of the struggle.

For many women, it is the beginning of an entirely different one.

We cannot expect survivors to rebuild financial independence overnight after years of instability, isolation, and control.

We cannot continue measuring recovery solely by whether someone has physically left an abusive relationship.

Recovery also means having somewhere safe to sleep.

Having food in the refrigerator.

Having transportation to work.

Having access to childcare.

Having the opportunity to regain financial independence without living in constant fear of losing everything.

And having enough stability to begin healing.

No woman should feel that returning to an abusive relationship is her only option for financial survival.

Through She Rose Anyway, I am working toward building a community and foundation dedicated to helping women recognize abuse, access resources, and rebuild their lives.

This petition is part of that larger mission.

I am asking lawmakers to recognize financial recovery as an essential part of supporting domestic violence survivors.

Because awareness is important.

Leaving is important.

But what happens afterward matters, too.

No woman should have to rebuild alone.

Kimberly Wilson
Founder, She Rose Anyway