Powerful Partnership Conference Follow-up

The conference celebrated and coincided with the 40th anniversary of the Department of Women and Gender Studies at the University of Delaware, the 20th anniversary of the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and the 20th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act. The conference included a variety of workshops including topics related to engaging men and boys, leadership development, legal system response, strengthening the movement, and wellness and self-care.

W.O.M.A.N., Inc. was fortunate enough to be asked to present on the Domestic Violence Information and Referral Center (DVIRC). The DVIRC is an online database of close to 1,000 resources for domestic violence survivors. It offers ways in which domestic violence service providers can continue to stay connected through online forums, a shared library and community calendar. During the session, Community Liaison Manager Mariya Taher and Program Assistant Tania Parks shared a bit about the history of the project, briefly toured participants through the features of the site, and shared some of the challenges our agency has encountered throughout the course of the project.

The session had a good response from participants, and we are already in contact with agency representatives in that region of the country to offer support while they create a similar resource platform.

Latina Program Manager, Paola Souto, Presents at the National Latin@ Institute in Chicago, IL

Vida Plena para Tod@s, or A Full Life for Everybody, was the name of this year’s National Latin@ Institute where our Latina Program Manager, Paola Souto, facilitated a workshop at the beginning of June in Chicago, IL.

This conference, organized by the National Latin@ Network every two years, welcomed over 150 people working in the anti-domestic violence field from across the nation. From advocates, volunteers, and immigration lawyers offering direct service, to therapists, policy experts, board members, and survivors, they all came together to discuss best practices and ways to end gender-based and domestic violence in the Latin@ communities.

For three days, they discussed challenging issues and innovative practices, exchanged advocacy tools and ideas for community engagement culturally specific to the Latin@ communities, and shared resources and expertise on different topics. The Institute aimed to bring light to the intersections of gender-based violence and domestic violence in the Latin@ communities in a collaborative environment, acknowledging the vast diversity in these communities. Some of the topics of the Institute sessions included advocating for survivors who stay in contact with abusive partners, advocating for LGBTQ Latin@ Survivors, working with Latin@ youth, elder abuse, human trafficking, using culture and art as healing tools, and engaging men to end violence against women.

Presenters and panelists were intentional in their choice of words, using inclusive vocabulary (considering gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, immigration status, etc.) and switching back and forth between English and Spanish depending on what they felt more comfortable with and what they thought was more appropriate to the discussion. Interpreters kept busy supporting monolingual participants with English and Spanish translations. In this way, language was used to bring visibility to the diversity in our Latin@ communities.

To read the full article, click here.

W.O.M.A.N., Inc Summer 2014 Community Education Series

For the 2nd year in a row, W.O.M.A.N., Inc. is hosting a Community Education Series at the San Francisco Public Library to help educate the community about issues relating to domestic violence. Join us for the last session on August 27th! 

August 27th

“Teen Dating: What’s Hot & What’s Not”
This session is geared towards adolescents who are exploring the dating scene, and aims to help teens create healthy boundaries and recognize warning signs in their relationships. (Mary Louise Strong Room, 1^st Floor)

This presentation is open to ALL community members who are interested in learning more about domestic violence and W.O.M.A.N., Inc.!

Sessions 
Check in: 5:45 pm – 6:00 pm
Programming: 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

The library does not allow food, but water bottles are welcome.

For more information please contact: outreach@womaninc.org

The Healthy Babies Act of 2014 Update

W.O.M.A.N., Inc. staff member Mariya is a Women’s Policy Institute (WPI) fellow for the 2013-2014 legislative year. The Women’s Policy Institute is a yearlong program of intensive advocacy and leadership training retreats in Sacramento that teaches women activists and grassroots organizations how to successfully navigate the labyrinth of Sacramento. She is part of the Domestic Violence Team, and they have been working with Assembly Member Mark Stone’s office to raise support for AB 1579 – Healthy Babies Act of 2014. This bill aims to change the state’s CalWORKs statute to allow pregnant women who otherwise do not have children to become eligible for CalWORKs basic needs grants earlier, at second semester. Currently, low-income pregnant women are eligible for CalWORKs assistance only in the last three months of their pregnancy.

I'm happy to report that AB 1579 - Healthy Babies Act of 2014 has passed out of the Assembly and is now in the Senate! This means we are a little closer to ensuring that low-income pregnant women will receive the cash aid they need to receive essential prenatal care earlier in their pregnancy! The act aims to ensure that future generations of Californians receive healthier starts in their lives. Domestic Violence survivors will be able to receive life-saving cash aid grants, which will remove their dependence on abusive partners and allow them to leave these relationships sooner.

Now that our bill is in the Senate Appropriations Committee, we are asking supporters to contact their local representative to demonstrate that there is a strong, continued interest in supporting AB 1579 - Healthy Babies Act of 2014.

To learn more about the bill, please visit Learn about AB 1579: Healthy Baby Act of 2014 (WPI Domestic Violence Team)

Click the following links to learn more about what our agency has been busy doing this summer:

Board Spotlight: Kathy Jeffery
I work with Caresse Santin, who has been a crisis volunteer with W.O.M.A.N., Inc. for the last ten years... read more

W.O.M.A.N., Inc. and our Volunteers and Board all Recognized by the Volunteer Center
We're pleased to announce that W.O.M.A.N., Inc. was a 2014 Volunteer Choice Award Final Five Nominee!... read more

Volunteer Highlight: Janella Parucha
I believe I started volunteering for W.O.M.A.N., Inc. in October of 2013... read more

C.U.E. Tip: Hiking - Benefits Heart, Body and Mind
Take a Hike! Hiking is a powerful tool to maintain a healthy mind, body, and heart...read more

Board Highlight: Anisha Taheer
As a new member of the organization sinking through somewhat of a financial crisis and mismanagement I don't think I had one role in particular... read more