Advocates to the Front! 2024 WSCADV Conference

This workshop will focus on building narrative power in rural Washington to address gender-based violence and intersecting issues of economic justice, racial justice, and reproductive justice. Participants will learn to weave narrative strategies into campaign and initiative work, integrating community organizing and strategic communications. The session will include interactive exercises to help programs develop, distribute, and organize narrative change across key issues. Participants will also build connections across programs to use narrative change as a shared project.

En honor a “Advocactes to the Front”, WSCADV tiene el honor de presentarles un panel de intercesoras latinas que han tenido un profundo impacto en sus comunidades a través de su pasión y dedicación a este trabajo. Agradecemos a nuestras panelistas Rosalinda Álvarez, Celia Guardado y Brandi Belgarde por todo el trabajo que han realizado para apoyar a los sobrevivientes latinos. Este taller se presentará en español con interpretación al inglés.

In honor of “Advocates to the Front”, WSCADV has the honor to present you with a panel of strong Latine advocates who have made a profound impact in their communities through their passion and dedication to this work. We are grateful to our panelists Rosalinda Alvarez, Celia Guardado, and Brandi Belgarde for all the work that they have done to support Latine survivors. This workshop will be presented in Spanish with English interpretation available.

This dynamic workshop will cover two important programs at the YWCA: Survivors FIRST and the Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI)

Women represent the fastest growing incarcerated population, and those charged with crimes are overwhelmingly survivors of gender-based violence. Research highlights that the traditional criminal justice approach often fails to address the unique needs and experiences of Black women and women of color who are survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. Few resources exist to provide diversion, services, and pathways to healing for criminalized survivors.

Survivors FIRST is the pioneering program from the YWCA and King County Prosecuting Attorney addressing this critical gap, and it has now become the national model. This program aims to identify victims of gender-based violence facing criminal charges and offer alternative pathways to address trauma and provide support by connecting survivors with culturally relevant community providers and services. This portion of the workshop will discuss survivor-centered diversion, showcase Survivors FIRST, and discuss how prosecutors and victim advocates can work together to break the cycles of abuse and victimization

The second half of the workshop will provoke your thought process to identify biases and shift your understanding about the intersection of violence of Black women in marginalized communities. We will provide information to empower and educate you about structural racism and the frameworks fostered by YWCA RSJI. The Race and Social Justice Initiative is YWCA’s expression of its commitment to eliminate racial disparities, raise up the voices and experiences of Black women, and achieve racial equity and social justice.

Abolition Feminism 101 will offer workshop participants a chance to become familiar with the radical orientation to anti-violence work that is based on principles of abolition feminism.  It will include a review of the genealogy of the movement that has been led by Black feminists and other feminists of color and discussion of the ways that abolition feminism enables a more justice-oriented approach to ending gender violence.  Topics will include a critique of carceral feminism and examples of abolition feminist praxis, including presentation of specific analytical and organizing tools.  Participants will be invited to create and share long-term strategies that they can embrace in the work for freedom.

Our panelists, Rokea Jones, BLK MAMAS Collective, Jamie Lovato, Spokane Tribe Indigenous Birth Justice and Jessica Houseman-Whitehawk, Ttáwaxt Birth Justice Center, are combining their expertise as doulas and birth justice advocates, while utilizing holistic, healing, plant, and cultural knowledge in their support of birthing families and training of doulas. They focus on dismantling oppressive systems and fighting for healthcare equity for Indigenous, Tribal, and Black birthing families. We invite you to join in on our discussion, facilitated by Andrea Garcia Brown, on what birth justice means to us and how it connects to our advocacy work.