Transforming Women into Leaders
Introduction
Welcome to the Women of Color Leadership Institute (WOCLI) at the National
Minority AIDS Council. The WOCLI is designed to equip and empower a cadre of
skilled leaders to understand the policymaking system, the role of advocacy and
the need to find a voice in the decision-making process that impacts health for
Women of color. This Institute will help Women of color to build leadership in
much needed programs and health services to prevent the spread and mitigate the
effects of HIV/AIDS and other health related diseases. Therefore, NMAC will
extend its WOCLI trainings to the Caribbean, a region where HIV infection rates
are second to Sub-Saharan Africa. Ultimately,
this leadership will be instrumental in creating a healthy lifestyle and
affecting quality of life for women of color.
The focus of WOCLI is more than just on one's ability to address issue of
diagnosing, treating and preventing HIV/AIDS; it is about the fact that Women
of color have long been disproportionately affected by chronic yet preventable
diseases, which often are diagnosed too late and negatively impact longevity
and quality of life. NMAC recognizes that now more than ever, strong Women's
leadership in health policy is critically important. WOCLI aims to
conduct trainings both in the U.S. and the Caribbean, where the HIV epidemic
has taken its toll with rates only second to Sub-Saharan Africa.
A Look at Health Disparities among Women of Color
Minority Women's Health, an
initiative within the Office of Women's
Health, states the leading causes of death among women of color are heart
disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and kidney disease. African Americans are
about twice as likely to have diabetes as whites of the same age and they are
more likely to have other serious health problems caused by diabetes. Among all
women, Hispanic women have the highest rates of cervical cancer. While Asian
American women have the highest life expectancy of any group in the U.S., they
suffer more from certain types of cancer, tuberculosis, and hepatitis B.
Cervical cancer rates are very high in subgroups, especially in Vietnamese
women.
According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC), women account for more than one quarter of all new
HIV/AIDS diagnoses; Women of color are especially affected by HIV infection and
AIDS. In 2004 HIV infection was the leading cause of death for black women
(including African American women) aged 25-34 years; the 3rd leading cause of death
for black women aged 35-44 years; the 4th leading cause of death for black
women aged 45-54 years; and the 4th leading cause of death for Hispanic women
aged 35-44 years. In the same year, HIV infection was the 5th leading cause of
death among all women aged 35-44 years and the 6th leading cause of death among
all women aged 25-34 years. The only diseases causing more deaths of women were
cancer and heart disease.
Leadership
While these facts paint a grim picture, strength in women's leadership can turn
our adversity into our ally. WOCLI aims to do this by targeting women of color
in agencies and community organizations addressing health disparities and build leadership by envisioning how one's voice can change one's future and join
other Women in the tides that bind.
For more information or to schedule a training in your area, please send an
email to WOC@nmac.org. To apply, click
here to fill out the application form electronically and click Print to
return to NMAC via fax or mail. Please save a copy for your records by printing
or clicking File, then Save As, and saving to your local computer.
We invite you to join us; together we can achieve change through
empowerment.
The Women of Color
Leadership Institute is made possible through a generous grant from the American Express
Foundation.
The compilation of materials produced and developed on this site were made
possible through a generous grant from Tibotec Therapeutics.
