Mosaiko

Women In Need

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Women In Need International (WIN) is a not-for-profit organization established in New York. It also represents a Japanese NGO “2050″ and advocates women’s empowerment, among other things, as the first and most effective means to solve many problems confronting the world today. WIN is committed to leaving behind a better and safer world for our children and the succeeding generations. Its goal is to alleviate misery and poverty in the world through the empowerment of women suffering in developing countries. WIN is therefore dedicated to supporting women’s education and economic development projects through scholarship programs, skill training, job creation and marketing.

Dr. Tracey Kemble from WIN Hellas met with Mosaiko.gr and discussed the organization’s goals and future plans.

Tell us about your trip to Greece. Is this your first time here?

No, I come to Greece quite often.  My husband’s family is from here.  I have two God daughters in Marathon.  My husband was disconnected from his family in Greece for years and in 1998 he found them again.  The rest is history, only I think I now spend more time here than him!

Can you tell us about the activities of your organization?

WIN is a non-profit foundation that specializes in self-esteem and abuse recovery.  I founded the outreach in 1996 in the United States.  Now we are in 8 countries around the world, including Greece where it launched in 2006.  We offer programs of empowerment, recovery and prevention.    The one program that we provide for youth is our Raise Your Standards Program (that educates about alcohol related abuse) and our WHAT! Program, which is a self-esteem empowerment program for young girls.

And WIN international celebrates 8 years in 2010 right?

It opened in 1996, so we are 14 years old.   It opened in Greece in 2006.

Which are the priorities that you will focus on over the next few years?

At the international level , over the next few years we want our NGO to be a part of the UN.  After that our main priority is to address the issue of abuse and the needed recovery for those who are faced with it.  Our focus will be to continue to run the programs, only at a more available rate and we want to make our programs available to trafficking victims as well.   In addition, we want to (locally) bring the Raise Your Standards Program to Greece which is a program addresses alcohol related abuse.  I think if I had a read dream come true, it would be to have our Self-Esteem Class taught in the schools so that we could get some tools into young women before they find themselves in pain.

How would you compare the situation here in Greece to the States

In the US we are more open about talking about abuse.  Our national statistics are 1 in 4 women experience abuse, with Teen Violence being on the rise.  Our research shows that girls as young as 13 are finding themselves experiencing abuse, either through verbal name calling, unwanted sexual advances or physical impact, including pushing, pinching or hitting.  Here in Greece there are no statistics on teen violence, but for adults, it is 3 in 5.  The most important thing to remember is that abuse is not a disease but instead a learned behavior.  Therefore we must teach people how to treat us.

For more information please visit: http://www.win-int.org, http://www.winhellas.gr