Why a Women's Coalition?
Because:
- Each year thousands of women, children and
men are victims of violence...
- 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 5 boys will be a
victim of sexual assault before the age of 18...
- Each year on St. Croix approximately 500
women will obtain Temporary Restraining Orders to protect themselves...
- We provide a listening ear and ray of hope
24 hours a day... our services are available to all victims regardless of gender, race, or
age...
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How the Women's Coalition was Started
For the thousands of women and children on
St. Croix who are victims of violence, little help was available before our Coalition was
formed. In 1981 a symposium for women writers was held at the College of the Virgin
Islands. This conference had a tremendous inspirational effect on the women who attended.
They symposium reflecting a growing need for action again the increasing violence against
women.
As a result, a group of about twenty women started meeting regularly and decided their
purpose would be to promote equality for freedom through the oppressions of sexism and
racism -- through education and advocacy for women's rights. To accomplish this they
agreed to begin with the basics: address the issue of violence against women in our
community.
Out of these sessions emerged the Women's Coalition of St. Croix, a non-profit, tax-exempt
organization dedicated to ending violence again women, men and children, and to give aid
and support to victims of all crimes.
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Today, the Women's Coalition owns and
operates an office/crisis center, a shelter for battered women and their children, and a
used clothing store. It is a multicultural organization comprised of a large group of
volunteers, a Board of Directors, co-directors, crisis counsellors, a child
advocate/counselor and support staff.
Its community effectiveness has increase through its professional advocacy and caring
concern for the problems of all crime victims including victims of rape and domestic
violence.
The Coalition is part of the V.I. Domestic Violence Coordinating Council which coordinates
public and private agencies' responses to victims and abusers in domestic violence cases.
This inter-agency cooperation aims to reduce the incidents of domestic violence in our
community and to provide safety to victims.
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- Provides crisis intervention services and
counseling for victims in both English and Spanish.
- Trains volunteers as advocates for victims
in crisis.
- Provides a 24-hour, year-round advocate
program to assist men, women, and children victims of rape, domestic violence and other
violent crimes.
- Conducts self-help support groups for women
in the second stage of crisis.
- Provides temporary safe housing, emergency
aid, food, and clothing to victims and their children.
- Sensitizes police, hospital and social
service personnel to the needs of victims through specialized training seminars.
- Offers referrals, advocacy, and support for
victims involved with the hospitals and other community agencies.
- Provides community education and public
speakers on the subjects of domestic violence, rape, child molestation, conflict
resolution, date rape, and women's health issues.
- Keeps the public informed via a weekly
column in the local newspaper and by its presence at island-wide events, club meetings,
and in schools.
- Works closely with the Men's Coalition by
training counselors for batterers.
- Provides child advocacy to promote
children's interests and protects their rights in many different settings, including home,
courts, schools, and social agencies.
- Provides school workshops and presentations
for kindergarten through higher educations on issues of conflict resolution, violence and
sexual abuse prevention at the public and private schools.
- Has a resource library and a service
referral data bank available to the community.
- Participates in The Clothesline Project,
a national endeavor by women's rights groups to help victims heal by having them design
and create T-shirts which bear witness to the violence against them. These T-shirts are
then displayed for public viewing.
- Brings the anti-domestic violence puppet
program, entitled "Positively Puppets," into schools
whereby children in grades 1-6 learn about conflict resolution, self esteem, and child
abuse prevention through puppet shows which are created by the WCSC counselors.
- Continues to confront the inherent racism
existing in our society by actively training volunteer group leaders on the many issues
related to racism so that these volunteers can then educate all racial groups in the
community on the negative effects these attitudes have. Anti-racism workshops
and training may be scheduled by calling the WCSC office.
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- Speak Out against violence.
- Offer to transport victims
to court or other agencies.
- Attend the Advocate
Training Course an serve as an Advocate for victims in crisis.
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