The Dominican Women's Development Center (DWDC/El Centro) was founded in 1988. It was created by a group of young, Dominican women who identified the need to create a membership, service organization that would help organize low-income women and that would provide them with culturally competent social services. The central mission of El Centro is to contribute to the empowerment of Dominican/Latina, other women and our families who reside in Washington Heights/Inwood and other New York City communities. Our mission is to aid in the growth and development of our self-esteem, by affirming our identity and solidarity through multicultural and holistic social services, and educational, economic and cultural development programs. The Center is committed to the organizing of women to actively participate in the elimination of gender inequality and the promotion of social justice.
The DWDC bases its programs and events on the understanding that Dominican and other Latina women are affected by the forces of racism, sexism, classism and other forms of oppression simultaneously, all of which touch their lives in a variety of ways, including domestic and other forms of violence, inadequate access to quality education, healthcare and employment, and substance abuse rehabilitation programs, among others. El Centro has adopted this holistic approach to its programming because it is important to recognize that the participants who come to El Centro are not only seeking educational or economic opportunities, they are also looking for the space and support to share their experiences with their peers.
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- The celebration of three annual conferences on Latina women and Health.
- Workshops provided for participants in the Educational Development Program throughout the semester that deal with issues of importance to Dominican/Latina women. Examples of these workshops are: Mujer y salud (Woman and health); Mujer y espiritualidad (Woman and spirituality); the use of non-sexist language; conflict resolution workshops; self-esteem workshops; Mujer y política (Woman and politics); and a workshop examining gender roles in Dominican/Latina communities.
- Participation in marches in New York City , Albany , New York and Washington , D.C. related to Peace and Justice, police brutality, the repeal of the Rockefeller Laws, Amnesty for undocumented immigrants, and violence against women.
- Planning of a ceremony of reflection for the Washington Heights/Inwood communities to help process the events of September 11, 2001 and the crash of American Airlines Flight 587.
- Yearly celebration of International Women's Day and activities through Women's Health month to celebrate the struggles and accomplishments of Latinas and other women.
