An initiative to start a women's support group within PrYSM started as early as 2002, when it was identified that the wives and girlfriends of men who were getting deported were also going to bear the brunt of immigration policy -- many women became single mothers who would now have to support their families without the financial or emotional help of their loved one. As PrYSM grew a large base of young Southeast Asian women during our deportation campaign, further needs were made clear. Young women found it difficult to be involved in organizing because of the barriers they were facing at home:
- Some young women were mothers and had to take care of their children.
- Some young women were not allowed to leave the house and were under strict supervision from their parents.
- Some young women were going through issues of domestic violence at home.
The SEA Women's Support Group program is a safe space for young Southeast Asian (SEA) women to build leadership skills, develop collective analyses and problem solving of shared problems, to challenge popular concepts about gender, and to create social change through community organizing. The overall goals of the program are:
- To provide a safe space for young SEA women;
- To deepen the leadership skills of a core group of young SEA women;
- To broaden a base of young SEA women leaders;
- To create a cultural shift in the SEA community's understanding of gender roles; and
- To explore change in policies that directly impact young SEA women.
The Women's Group is currently looking for members. For more information or to join, please contact Yut at yyang@prysm.us.
