Womankind works with survivors of gender-based violence to rise above trauma and build a path to healing. By providing critical resources and deep cultural sensitivity, Womankind aims to help survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual violence find refuge, recovery, and renewal for themselves and their families. We provide innovative healing services and award-winning assistance to individuals of all ages. Depending on circumstance, survivors have access to a safe place to live, assistance with housing, employment, English language training, legal immigration assistance, financial empowerment, and so much more.
The One Again program at Womankind works to support sexual violence survivors in their healing journeys through direct trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, and client-centered services; addresses rape culture through community education and outreach; and aims to create cultures of accountability through advocacy and campaigns.
Womankind recognizes the needs expressed by clients who have a desire to become more involved in the work that staff, interns, and volunteers do as a component to their healing journeys. Building on our Pathways to Healing programmatic work, we recognize the value of offering space for survivors to participate in community engagement, as they have access to parts of community that staff may not. Given this, Womankind seeks to follow the model of “promotores” to address sexual violence as an issue within our communities. Historically, “promotores” are lay health workers who have, in various disenfranchised or underserved communities, increased individual and community capacity to connect to healthcare resources. They do so by increasing health knowledge and self-sufficiency through a range of activities, such as outreach and community education. Typically, they are trained in a healthcare issue area, facilitation, and community organizing. At best, this model works when the promotor/a is from and/or part of the community they are seeking to impact. Womankind is intentional in building leadership opportunities and spaces for survivors to engage in the agency’s violence prevention work, and this will allow our survivors to do so.
The Community Organizer will engage with clients and simultaneously develop and implement curriculum to train clients who are interested in community engagement work. The Community Organizer will also build relationships with key groups and organizations in the identified community by attending various community meetings and events as well as providing workshops and trainings. Such activities build trust and connection, allowing for changes/evolutions in attitudes, beliefs, and comfort levels in dealing with issues connected to sexual violence—e.g., familial, religious, cultural norms; crisis; trauma; gender; power dynamics, etc). Eventually, the participating community members will take the lead on these activities, with support from staff, for the purposes of truly bringing community awareness, education, and engagement at the grassroots levels to shift culture and progressively address gender-based violence and rape culture.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Build and maintain relationships with potential partnering community-based organizations and groups
- Engage with clients at community offices and residential spaces for the purpose of introducing community engagement
- Develop and implement curriculum based on the community needs assessment for future Community Advocates
- Facilitate, train, and mentor interested community members on issues related but not limited to social justice, gender-based violence (ie, sexual violence), community organizing, transformative/restorative justice, etc.
- Develop and manage Womankind’s rapid response work
- Additional related tasks
Qualifications:
- Previous experience in community organizing and working with people who have experienced trauma needed
- Ability to strategically think about the outreach and community education needs of Bangladeshi or Filipino communities
- Ability to work collaboratively with multiple staff members on a variety of tasks
- Strong emotional intelligence, with the ability to listen and communicate effectively with a wide variety of internal and external constituents
- Deep belief in the Womankind’s mission and determination to grow the organization to be best in class
- Highly organized, able to manage multiple projects and follow through on tasks
- Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with community organizations and groups as well as community leaders
- Strong and effective verbal & writing communication and listening skills
- Computer proficiency, including the internet, word processing, spreadsheet, and database programs
- Fluency in Bengali is a strong plus
Level of Language Proficiency
Fluency in Bengali preferred
Professional Level: None specified
Minimum Education Required: No requirement
How To Apply
Email resume and cover letter to: hr@iamwk.org. Please include your name and “Community Organizer” in the subject.
Womankind is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we are interested in every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. However, we are unable to sponsor visas at this time.
