Join us on Wednesday, March 26th as the AVA Webinar Series presents Criminalization of Gender-Based Violence Survivors with Rosa Jeyapalan and Callandra Cochrane from the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic.
Wednesday, March 26th, 2025
12 – 1:30pm MST
This webinar explores the challenges survivors of gender-based violence face within the legal system, particularly focusing on coercive control. It highlights how survivors are often criminalized, encounter legal barriers, and experience emotional distress throughout the legal process. The discussion highlights the importance of trauma-informed and community-driven responses and encourages ongoing conversations on how to better support survivors.
About the Speakers
Rosa Jeyapalan has been a dedicated advocate for marginalized communities for three decades. She began her career in 1995 as a frontline counselor in a women’s shelter, providing direct support to survivors of violence. In 2000 she joined the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic as a housing worker, later transitioning into case management to assist clients facing complex social and legal challenges. Her commitment to social justice led her to work on Alliance for Gender Justice and Migration Project focusing on advocacy and systemic change. Now, as a National Project Coordinator and High Needs Case Manager, Rosa continues to lead initiatives that drive meaningful change and enhance support systems for those in need.
Callandra Cochrane (she/her) is an intersectional feminist lawyer and has been a lawyer with the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic for 8 years. Over the last eight years, Callandra has worked as a family lawyer and with clients who have experienced sexual assault or workplace sexual harassment. Currently, she is the project lawyer for the Clinic’s Criminalization & Survivorship project, aimed at preventing and addressing the criminalization of gender-based violence survivors.