WE ADVANCE aims to create a grassroots movement empowering Haitian women to collaborate toward making healthcare a priority, and putting an end to GBV within their communities.

WE ADVANCE seeks to act as a central agency to network the organizations working on women’s issues in Haiti, and to provide urgent care to women victimized by the disaster. In addition to unifying the organizations already in existence, WE ADVANCE plans to spearhead new projects and programs that address women’s needs and offer leadership opportunities for women who live in the communities.

By partnering with the leading GBV groups in Haiti, WE ADVANCE will serve as the main hub for reporting, referrals and management.

Through our pilot program in Haiti, WE ADVANCE is creating a model that can be replicated in other countries marred by high rates of GBV. Currently, we have opportunities to carry out similar projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in Darfur, Sudan.

Empowerment is not something that is done to women. Rather, it is a participatory process that engages women in reflection, inquiry, and action. By sharing life stories and doing a basic analysis of common problems, such as domestic violence, unemployment or inadequate health services, women can gain a clearer understanding of power. They begin to question the world and their place in it, affirm their own sources of power, and discover how other forms of power affect their lives.