SHE: Sisters Healthy & Empowered

For over 25 years, Sisterhood Agenda has been addressing violence against women and girls as one of the largest public health crisis of our time.  Over 90% of women have experienced two or more Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) by the time they are eighteen years old. ACEs increases risk for chronic diseases, from heart disease and cancer, to depression and substance abuse, even premature death.  

Women and girls are disproportionately affected by trauma, creating coping mechanisms and behaviors that take them further from optimal health. Traumatic experiences, lack of knowledge and lack of social support place women and girls at risk.  Being untethered, social isolation further marginalizes victims and survivors, increasing their chances of disease, depression, substance abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The goals and objectives of Sisterhood Agenda’s SHE program are:  1) to create and test an innovative safe space facility plan that will physically reflect and support an empowerment model and that can be replicated nationally, and 2) to implement and evaluate a process for the empowerment of women and girls that addresses the impact of trauma, builds resilience, and results in the optimization of holistic health. 

We are so excited about starting SHE activities at our new facility in Maryland.  There we will increase knowledge of trauma, resilience, and protective factors for 48-60 girls per year in Baltimore County. 

Sisterhood Agenda’s SHE is coordinated with schools and other Sisterhood Agenda partners.  SHE participants meet once each week for 14 weeks. Youth workers facilitate the specific, standardized activities in the SHE curriculum, which is a selective set of engaging activities that are well-researched and evidence-based.

Sisterhood empowers and heals. Partnership is the key to Sisterhood Agenda’s success. 

Thank you for all of your support!

Links:

• SHE on St. John, USVI
• Find Your ACE Score Video
• Are ACES Putting You at Risk? Video