Welcome

Women's lives are remarkably similar all around the world: they raise and procure food, provide shelter, clothing, education and health care. All over the world, women work. They work hard so their families can survive and thrive.

Poor women today face obstacles to doing what they consider their primary job - caring for themselves, the children and communities. Health care is not affordable, minimum wage provides only half of what it costs live in Boston, and child care is scarce. Women of color and immigrant and refugee women face added institutional and systemic barriers: the extreme narrow-mindedness and prejudice represented by the race federal welfare and immigration reforms, other efforts to deny legal immigrants access to services their to money has purchased, every day racism endemic in the US, lack of access to English as a Second Language Classes, GED and other educational opportunities . . . the list goes on and on.

History

In 1994 the African American, Latina and immigrant/ refugee women who became CEW members were struggling. Punitive welfare reforms, rising costs of living, & race and gender-based discrimination were making their lives unbearable. These women wanted a place that could be their own and would help them understand US society. They wanted to learn how to advocate for their own needs. That organization became Cooperative Economics for Women.

Access to income was the first big problem they came together to solve. They participated in Women Focus on Work, CEW’s first organizing curriculum, and learned about the US economy. Our first members chose organizing for welfare rights as their first organizing work. They formed worker-owned income generating co-operatives that took advantage of their skills.

In our first decade CEW members learned about community organizing and advocacy and the basics of non-profit governance. We pioneered an approach to participatory problem solving that has resulted in innovative model programs for our members and the larger community of progressive immigrant organizations.

Mission

Cooperative Economics for Women organizes low-income immigrant and refugee women of color to address problems they face as they struggle to meet their basic needs. CEW helps low-income women organize in their language communities. We address issues associated with welfare and immigration reform, and integration into U.S. society.

Our mission is to support low-income women, especially women of color, with a supportive group to learn organizing skills & leadership development for advocacy, promotion of policy change, & community development, including access/control of income.

Cooperative Economics for Women is grateful to all of its funders:


	Boston Women's Fund	Cradles to Crayons	East Boston Savings Bank	General Mills


Haymarket Fund	Jessie B. Cox Foundation	The Hyams Foundation	Kids Clothes Club	McDonalds - Revere

				The Borns Family Foundation Inc.
Staples - Revere	Stop & Shop - Revere Branch		The Lenny Zakim Fund	The Borns Family Foundation Inc.