Voices combine: Women use advocacy to improve the health of their communities

As women in many parts of New Orleans continue to work toward recovering a sense of normalcy for their families and communities, it is sometimes difficult to put health at the top of the priority list. Information received from local women suggest that they are willing to be assisted in reaching their health goals but do not want to be lectured. The Mary Amelia Center is changing the way we interact with community women moving away from education toward open communication with a common goal of working in partnership toward health. In the Community Women Health Advocate (CoWHA) program women act as catalysts for changing social norms around health behavior by adopting, endorsing and supporting healthy lifestyle choices. Shared learning processes, based on Freirian praxis, support women to recognize and organize the extensive culturally relevant knowledge about their communities and address the health issues they believe to be significant and appropriate thus creating a tailored program (Freire, 1973). CoWHAs use everyday situations and social interactions to promote and spread basic messages about health which focus on practical behavior modification. Use of the term “advocate” was a conscious choice emphasizing the CoWHAs role of promoting healthy lifestyle choices rather than formally educating members of their community. CoWHA training focuses on increasing self-efficacy by highlighting the skills, talents, networks and assets that the women already possess. Through ongoing networking opportunities CoWHAs build social support and collective motivation as they see more and more women from their home areas participating in the program.