Wednesday October 15

2025

Intimate Partner Violence and the Impact of Economic Abuse: Connecting Survivors to Small Business Opportunities

Domestic Violence Awareness Month Program

All staff and guests are invited to a screening of Survivor Made

Survivor Made is a documentary about resilience and transformation. Survivors of intimate partner violence, once dismissed with the question of “why don’t they just leave?”, share how they are rebuilding their lives by creating economic partnerships and advocating for change. The film highlights the real barriers to leaving abusive relationships—lack of safety, housing, and financial independence—while reframing the narrative from victimhood to survival, from pain to possibility. Profiling six survivors who are building businesses in Los Angeles and advocating for reform in Washington, D.C., the film demonstrates the power of combining material resources and support with economic self-determination as a path to safety.

The screening will be followed by a panel moderated by Julie Goldscheid, Professor Emeritus at CUNY School of Law. Survivors featured in the film will discuss the challenges and opportunities of building sustainable alternatives. The conversation will highlight how these lessons apply to LSNYC advocates across housing, immigration, consumer, and disability practice areas—underscoring the importance of spotting for economic abuse, centering survivors’ experiences, and connecting them to solutions that ensure both safety and stability.