Material Listing

Many women, regardless of race or ethnicity, choose to continue to live with partners who have been (or continue to be) abusive. Traditional domestic violence intervention approaches have emphasized women leaving abusive relationships, but the applicability and acceptability of this approach for women from culturally diverse backgrounds, including immigrant and Latina survivors of IPV, is not well understood.

The time that Latinas spend in shelter provides a great opportunity to expand their existing supports; and domestic violence agencies must be instrumental in creating community-based support systems. This article explores the elements of survivor-centered advocacy from a culturally specific perspective.

The Líderes program was created in 2003 in response to Latinas in the Twin Cities of MN asking for leadership opportunities in their communities. In 2006, Casa de Esperanza developed a curriculum for the Líderes and in 2011 it was adopted by Caminar Latino in Atlanta, GA, and adapted for women survivors of domestic violence.

A diagram of the framework of Casa de Esperanza’s Latina Advocacy based on more than 30 years of direct work.

This article highlights a culturally-based organizational structure developed from the perspective of culturally specific organizations. Additionally, the article explores cultural foundations for leadership development, management/administration, governance and organizational accountability using a lens that integrates cultural realities and considerations.