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Mujeres works to effect positive changes in the community by partnering with other non-profit organizations and local hospitals. Here are three of Mujeres’s advocacy initiatives.
The New Americans Initiative
Since 1995, Mujeres has assisted The Instituto del Progreso Latino (IDPL) with the New Americans Initiative. The New Americans Initiative provides immigrants with accurate information about citizenship, and assists in facilitating their naturalization process.
A team of Mujeres’ Latina Leadership program participants spreads the word about the Initiative among immigrants at local events, churches and community centers. The team encourages and assists thousands of immigrants to apply for citizenship in order to enjoy benefits to improve their and their families’ health and education, and give them the right to vote. The team also partners with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights to promote voter registration, enabling individuals to have a voice in their community.
Sexual Assault Partners
Mujeres’ Sexual Assault Program staff advocates on behalf of survivors of sexual assault. Mujeres educates staff at community hospitals on the needs of monolingual, Spanish-speaking victims of sexual assault. Mujeres provides medical professionals and other hospital staff with information on the dynamics of sexual assault, myths about sexual assault, post-traumatic stress, reactions of survivors and significant others, and the importance of a victim-centered approach.
In addition, Mujeres works with several hospitals on behalf of rape survivors. With Norwegian American Hospital, St. Anthony Hospital and Mercy Hospital, Mujeres’ medical advocates are on call to respond to all rape crises while the victim is in the emergency room 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The medical advocates provide emotional and legal support to survivors. With the advocates’ support, survivors make informed decisions about reporting the assault, seeking medical treatment, having forensic evidence collected and participating in counseling.
Domestic Violence Advocacy
Alongside five other organizations across the country, Mujeres has collaborated with the National Alliance for the Elimination of Domestic Violence (ALIANZA) to develop linguistically and culturally responsive materials and training to better serve Latina survivors of domestic violence. Using national research, ALIANZA partners assessed the needs of and developed a curriculum guide and training sessions for professionals serving this demographic.
Mujeres supports ALIANZA by offering guidance for the continued improvement of its curriculum and trainings. By doing so, social service professionals trained by ALIANZA can better meet the needs of Latina domestic violence survivors across the country.
Medical Advocacy
Mujeres’ Latina Leadership program volunteers refer hundreds of individuals to Mt. Sinai Hospital for preventative screenings for breast, cervical and prostate cancer and HIV/AIDS testing.
