Women’s Program

CEUS places a high priority on addressing the needs of Latinas because we know that the hard life of an immigrant is especially so for women. CEUS has since 1995 organized a women’s empowerment committee that seeks to provide support for immigrant women and develop female leaders. We try to lead by example: Hispanic women account for six of the nine members of the CEUS board of directors, including the president and secretary.

CEUS aims to help women in the community help themselves. Many work in factories, in restaurants, as house cleaners and other low paying jobs, earning $5 to $8 an hour. They often bring with them a history of war trauma and /or domestic violence, and limited education that is often a result of social repression. Many are undocumented and are single mothers.

CEUS first created a women’s group – Mujeres Unidas para Progreso (MUP) - in 1995, when it was supported by two grants from the Presbyterian Church Self Development of People program. The current group,  Entre Nosotras Latinas (“Between Ourselves, Latinas’ in English) is focused on community outreach and organizing women to push for their rights. It is  run by volunteers and is looking to secure the funds for a paid coordinator. Recent events have included celebration of International Day of the Woman, social trips and a focus on women’s health.

To learn more about the program, please contact Ana Salgado at (201) 617-2466.