• ABOUT US
• Why Vow?
• How Members Organize For Change
• Our History and Accomplishments
• Our Values
• Our Board and Staff
• Donors

How VOW Members Organize for Change

In order to create systemic change and prevent violence against women, VOW members:

• Document system failures
• Testify at hearings
• Create position papers
• Develop recommendations for change
• Meet with local and state officials
• Educate judges, district attorneys, domestic violence service providers, police officers, City agency representatives, court personnel and others on the complexities of domestic violence and the needs of battered women.
• Educate the public about domestic violence - members speak to high school and college students, church groups, community organizations and programs for women.
• Organize actions such as rallies, demonstrations and campaigns. VOW members organize to hold systems accountable for meeting the needs of abused women.
  
  

Preparing members for advocacy

VOW offers monthly meetings, trainings, workshops and individual coaching to help survivors develop their leadership and organizing skills.

Meetings

• held in safe and accessible locations,
• times are flexible to meet the needs of working women and single mothers,
• child care is provided when needed,
• stipends are provided to help cover travel and other costs and to recognize the important contribution survivors make to advocacy efforts on behalf of battered women.

Training

• Domestic Violence 101
  Members review the history of the battered women's movement, the root causes of family violence, and the obstacles women face in their efforts to leave.
• Public Speaking
  Members learn how to speak fearlessly and confidently about domestic violence and policies that need changing, how to describe their individual experiences in a way that has impact, how to tailor their speech to different audiences, and how to respond to questions from the audience. Practice and individual coaching helps prepare members to speak in front of large groups or face-to-face with high-powered decision makers.
• Strategic Planning
  Members learn to analyze problems with the systems and think strategically about how to improve them, including understanding who decision makers are and how to influence them.
• The Basics of Advocacy and Organizing
  Members learn how to reach out to others and build a powerful organization; strategies for influencing policy makers and tactics that have been used successfully by other disenfranchised communities. The history of social justice movements is also covered.
• Diversity
  Members develop the tools to work effectively with women from diverse backgrounds and experiences; ways to disagree respectfully and strategies for building a multi-cultural organization.
• Other training topics
  dealing with the media, running effective meetings, etc.

VOW is currently in the process of developing an "Advocacy Academy". The Academy will be a comprehensive training series, incorporating our current training topics with some new additions. The goal of the Academy is to provide a complete series of trainings for all members, giving newer members the opportunity to quickly gain the skills and confidence needed to start making a difference right away!

"I have grown and developed new skills through training and making presentations. It has been each one of us in VOW teaching the other new skills, to help all of us become leaders." - Mary, VOW member.

Supporting the emotional, physical and spiritual health of members:

A distinctive aspect of VOW is the Healing Expressions Committee, which provides workshops and special activities that assist women in processing the feelings that come up during public speaking and advocacy. Healing Expressions provides a safe environment for VOW members to explore feelings, share their experiences, heal and maintain vitality and health throughout their organizing efforts.

Some of the Healing Expression topics include:

• Journaling and deciding what to share publicly (when speaking to an audience) and what remains private;
• Expression through poetry, "Finding your voice";
• Expression through Movement (dance);
• Using Photoshop to creatively express feelings;
• Internalized oppression and self care - identifying forms of oppression and its impact on your life;
• Coming to terms with loss and guilt;
• Nutrition and healthy eating.

"Every time I leave a VOW meeting, I feel a renewal of strength and strategy that I use to address the many projects I am working on. Before VOW, I was unable to move my hopes any further than a wish; now my dreams are coming true. And with each dream that comes true, another, more remarkable vision comes into view." - Heather, VOW member.

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