Mothers and Daughters for Justice

Mothers for Justice members at The Permanent Commission on the Status of Women annual conference. Photo provided by Mothers for Justice.

For more than two decades, Mothers for Justice has been a strong collective voice for low-income women seeking to improve their lives and communities. Now the grassroots advocacy group is developing the next generation of leaders.

Mothers for Justice is providing free advocacy training for change for young women ages 15 – 19 years old. The kick-off is this week and the program provides dinner and a stipend for interested young women.

"We hear that too many young women don't have strong role models," says Merryl Eaton, advocacy and education director for Christian Community Action, which sponsors Mothers for Justice. "We envision a diverse group of girls that can learn from each other and become friends. They will be a shining example for the rest of us."

Mothers for Justice was founded in 1993 in order to give local women influence over policies that affect them. The group offers advocacy training and makes frequent trips to the state general assembly in Hartford, where they provide public testimony and hold rallies on issues including welfare reform, prison re-entry, housing, healthcare, and domestic violence.

The group has a shared leadership model and tackles issues that arise from the members. They recently advocated for the successful passage of a new law that allows women in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to seek training and education in order to improve their employment potential.

In addition to advocacy and training, the group provides members with an opportunity to build friendships and learn from each other. Despite its name, Mothers for Justice is also open to men, Eaton says.

Mothers for Justice is supported by Christian Community Action and recently received a grant for its training program from The Community Fund for Women and Girls.

To learn more about the Mothers for Justice and support its mission, visit Christian Community Action's profile on giveGreater.org®.

Did you know?

Mothers for Justice made a documentary, "Living in a Broken System," which featured individuals sharing their personal struggles and challenges living on the current welfare system. The film has been shown at the Connecticut General Assembly and at forums around the state.