Eleanor Foundation | Partnerships | Mujer Avanzando (Advancing Women) for Working Latinas

A network of resources to support economic self-sufficiency

Mujer Avanzando Participant Irisbel Ramirez

Irisbel is a single working mother who was among the first Mujer Avanzando participants. She recently completed Certified Nursing Assistant classes and started work as a phlebotomist. In two years, she plans to be a registered nurse specializing in forensics. She also started a savings account and opened an IRA. Read Irisbel's story.

Community Based Partnership for Working Latinas

Mujer Avanzando (Advancing Woman)

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July 12, 2009

Chicago's Latino community, a full 20% of our region's population, is the city's largest ethnic group according to the Chicago Community Trust's Latino Landscape report. Many live in vibrant neighborhoods on the city's lower west and near south sides. There, according to our research, more than 25% of all households are led by single women who earn less than $30,000—not enough for a single parent and her children to thrive.

A network of resources to support economic self-sufficiency For years, Instituto del Progreso Latino, Mujeres Latinas en Acción and The Resurrection Project—three leaders in Chicago's Pilsen and Little Village neighborhoods—each earned widespread attention for their individual success in empowering community residents. They also collaborated on occasional projects that supported one another's work. In 2007, the Eleanor Foundation made a three-year grant to coalesce their experience to assist working Latinas through a new partnership Mujer Avanzando.

"Collectively, we've established a clear and powerful agenda that helps Latinas in Chicago reach their fullest potential," said Juan Salgado, Executive Director of Instituto, the partnership's lead agency. "This vision has inspired a cross-institutional platform that produces career-driven mothers who are active agents of change for their families and community."

"Mujer Avanzando is a cross-institutional platform that has become an active agent of positive change"

Juan Salgado

In this community-based collaboration, the Mujer Avanzando partners provide integrated services that are centralized at Instituto's main facility. An Instituto staff member serves as a Women's Advocate, a liaison who connects women to the various components of the program which include:

Leadership training with Mujeres: weekly small group sessions help women understand their core strengths and focus on projects to improve the community.
Career-path development with Instituto: individualized career and job search coaching, language classes, basic computer courses, and skills training for careers in healthcare and manufacturing.
Financial literacy and coaching with The Resurrection Project: personal finance coaching, financial literacy training and homeownership counseling.

Mujer Avanzando has struck a chord with Latinas. To meet demand from working women, these grantee partners doubled their capacity in the program's first year. Their success also inspired Instituto and Mujeres. They are expanding their services through a Women's Advisory Council that will help lead advocacy work to give working Latinas a stronger voice in their communities.