National Minority AIDS Council Building Healthier Communities

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.

 

Women of Color: Changing the Face Of The HIV Epidemic

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.

We invite you to join us; together we can achieve change through empowerment.

The compilation of materials produced and developed on this site were made possible through a generous grant from Tibotec Therapeutics.