WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM

Women constitute about 50 percent of the world’s population, some studies show. But this statement needs reiteration again and again. Men being the apparent breadwinners seem to be the only ones affected by issues like Special Registration, minimum wage, health insurance, unemployment, and so forth. As an afterthought, we throw in a word or two about family housing, education for children, and risks and opportunities for family integration.

Lost in this debate are women with their own needs. And whether they are from Pakistan or Philippines, many of the women came to this country following their husbands and not necessarily on their own initiative.

The women find themselves in a new place, among new people, in a new environment. And their problems are similar:

• poor or non-existent language and job skills
• poor education and health
• orthodox customs, and
• lack of awareness about immigration rules

Women are afraid to report family violence as they fear vengeance and adverse effects on their immigration status. As a result, several women are forced to stay indoors because they are not empowered to tackle the cultural and economic shocks of being in a new country. While the men go out to work, the women remain at home. The time they have can be utilized in a constructive way. They are the ambassadors of our communities.

As a community-based organization, COPO has taken cognizance of the issues facing immigrant women, especially those from South Asia. With our intimate knowledge about the culture and family structures of South Asian and Muslim communities, we have been trying to assist them to overcome the traditional obstacles to their empowerment.

Consider a situation- If the 50% of the population of the world do not know a common language in which they can talk or communicate what would happen? This becomes important if they are living in one single country or one single city or one single neighborhood which is perhaps one of the unique factors of New York. As a result the progress of all our communities may be hindered. It was this realization, the need of communication, which led us at COPO to start the ESL classes exclusively for women. The task was difficult, remains difficult, as we have students in the class who speak multiple native languages. Within these classes, COPO educates and trains the female students not only for job related skills that could bring in some extra dollars and come handy as a backup but also on various other issues.

Nowadays women are referred to as the homemakers. No house can be made if the women are unaware of heath related issues. Poor health awareness among women leads to less than healthy families. Consequently, COPO has been regularly organizing health-related workshops on topics such as hypertension, mental health, diabetes, cancer, nutrition and vision. Free checkups and insurance information are enthusiastically welcomed by the women. As COPO continues to grow and gain the community’s trust, several victims of domestic violence have begun to approach us. The incidence of domestic violence has seen a spike especially after September 11 for reasons that are not hard to find or understand. It is encouraging that a community which has mostly kept family violence under wraps is slowly beginning to acknowledge its existence. COPO plans to expand its women’s empowerment program by providing shelter for battered women. This is inclusive of the various classes and programs that COPO continues to organize for women.

While attaining independence for women is an important goal for COPO’s women’s empowerment program, we also intend to effect positive changes in our community’s attitudes towards and the country’s perceptions about South Asian and Muslim women.