Program Areas
Women's Health | Combating Violence Against WomenWe tend to think of health mainly as a function of biology, but the strongest determinants of health are actually the social, political and economic forces in our lives. Health is not only the absence of disease or infirmity, but also a state of physical, mental and social well-being. How healthy we are depends enormously on our access to nutritious food, clean water and medical care; on the levels of violence and stress in our lives; on how much and under what conditions we work and on the opportunities we have for love, pleasure and fulfillment. In the US, the notion that health is largely a measure of medical fitness and a commodity that can be purchased (whether over the counter, in the gym or at the doctor's office) creates confusion between health, broadly defined as our well-being, and medicine, or institutionalized treatment from professional practitioners.
Peace Building
MADRE recognizes the many different ways that war impacts women's human rights and gender relations. These programs work to enhance women's capacities to prevent, survive, resolve, and recover from situations of armed conflict.
MADRE programs address the exploitation of child soldiers, the use of rape as a weapon of war and the impact of militarization and forced displacement on women and families. They offer trauma counseling for women and youth, protection from domestic and political violence, and critical health care and education services for those who have been forced to flee their homes.
Economic | Environmental Justice
