It is midway through 2015 and NewMexicoWomen.Org is taking time to reflect upon the goals and intentions we set for the year. While the NMW.O team spent a good amount of time in the conference room with our massive calendar before us, our midyear planning also included a reflection hike up Moon Mountain. In silence we climbed the short but steep trail to the vista considering these questions: Is NewMexicoWomen.Org achieving its goals? Are we realizing our intentions? Are we making an impact?
Considering our work to date and given that we are only three years old, our response is, “yes!” We are directing more philanthropic dollars to programs that support women and girls in New Mexico. And we are doing it with intention. Our Community Conversations continue. The most recent was held in Silver City and we are heading to Farmington in August. We launched the first phase of the Girls Give program in Santa Fe, hosting four focus groups with over forty girls in attendance. Our efforts to engage the business community in NMW.O’s mission to advance opportunities for women and girls were bolstered by a recent event at GF Contemporary Gallery featuring Pueblo artist, Roxanne Swentzell, and several NMW.O grantees; Mujeres de Adelante, Southwest Creations Collaborative and Tres Manos Weaving Cooperative. The Take a Stand campaign, which seeks to raise one dollar for every woman and girl in the state, continues to build momentum, as we are almost halfway to our annual benchmark.
However, while NewMexicoWomen.Org is growing, many women and girls in the state still struggle.
In our recent Community Conversation in Silver City, we learned that, like many small, rural New Mexican towns, Silver City has a significant drug abuse problem, pervasive domestic violence, and high rates of teen pregnancy (with the average age of girls who are getting pregnant trending younger). In surrounding counties and Colonia Communities, some homes lack basic needs like potable water or access to broadband internet. Service providers fear that children from this region are falling behind. This is just one area in one region. Stories and statistics like this repeat themselves all over the state.
We know that when women and girls are neglected and left behind, our communities and culture are under serious threat. However, when women thrive, whole communities thrive. That is why we are inviting you to Take a Stand for New Mexico women and girls. It is up to us to shift these realities and make a difference. In our work, we know that every dollar does.