Women’s Foundation of Oregon Announces $20,000 for Promotoras

Photo courtesy of the Women’s Foundation of Oregon

This year, CWS is pioneering the Promotoras community outreach model in Clackamas County. Through this model, CWS will train members of the Latinx community to become paraprofessionals, called Promotoras, to increase the accessibility of domestic and sexual violence services to communities that historically have been denied adequate and equitable access to services.

The Women’s Foundation of Oregon is a statewide member-supported foundation. The foundation selected four finalists for its grants and the members voted to determine the size of the grants. CWS’ proposal for our new Promotoras project tied for second place for a grant of $20,000! This generous grant from the Women’s Foundation of Oregon helps to launch Promotoras in Oregon.

More about Promotoras: The way CWS will accomplish the goal of Promotoras is by connecting survivors to their local service providers, developing and supporting Latinx women leaders in Clackamas County, and allowing Latinx communities to self-identify their priority needs. Promotoras will also allow CWS to raise awareness in the Latinx community about domestic and sexual violence.

By focusing on women leaders, the Promotoras model will raise up the voices of Latinx women within their own communities, as well as in systems where their voices have traditionally not been included. Until more women are represented in leadership roles, women and girls will remain marginalized, voiceless, and second-class citizens. Diversity in leadership nurtures innovation and better reflects the makeup and reality of our communities. Having women perform leadership roles can transform perspectives and processes, drive change, break down barriers, and release the constraint of choices that are available to women. Women leaders will act as role models in their communities, helping to shift gender stereotypes and roles.