The Young Women’s Empowerment Project is a community based youth lead project that was founded in 2001 by a radical feminst and harm reduction based collective of women and girls involved in the sex trade and street economy and our allies.
We were created by women and girls who believe that any girl can be empowered and that all girls are priceless, creative, and smart and can be leaders in their communities.
We offer girls involved in the sex trade and street economy ages 12-23 non-judgmental support, harm reduction information and resources and we even have job opportunities and paid volunteer positions.
We are not a social service agency.
That means that we don’t do “Intakes” or find people housing, or take people to court, etc.
If a girl needs something we can’t provide, we make a referral to someone we trust who we think can help out. We never share information or ask for identification. In fact, we dont allow social workers, lawyers or law enforcement in our offices!
Everything that we do is free of cost to girls.
Our mission is to offer safe, respectful, free of judgment spaces for girls and young women impacted by the sex trade and street economies to recognize and develop their goals, dreams and desires. This work is personal to us because it is about our lives.
We combine five different philosophies to do our work. We think that they are all really connected to each other and our mission.
Self Care means taking care of your body, your mind and your spirit on a daily basis. It means checking in with yourself in a regular way to see how you are doing with your job, your relationships, your health and your overall wellbeing.
At YWEP, we talk about self care all the time because so often girls are taught that they don’t know how to take care of themselves or their bodies. Sometimes girls are taught that they don’t know what is best for them or are told that they are “their own worst enemy”.
Sometimes, girls forget that they do know how to take care of themselves and that they are really the best person to do it! We encourage girls to think about how they feel about things, how they think they can take care of themselves, and what they think they need from themselves and other people to help them stay as rested, cared for and whole as possible.
We are gentle with each other as often as we can be. We practice being gentle by offering girls the opportunity to feel heard, by taking our time with projects that girls are working on and by honoring girls for the hard work they do every day just by being alive.
We don’t “blame the victim” or say something is a girls fault, we know that things are complicated and that people do the best they can. Blame makes people feel like they don’t know how to take care of themselves.
Here are some other examples of how we practice Self Care:
This means that we believe that girls are the experts in their own lives!
Many times girls are taught that they don’t know what is best for them. A doctor knows what is best for her health, a social worker knows what is best for her emotional health or judge knows what is best for her- period!
At YWEP we strive to create spaces in where girls are in charge.
We don’t tell girls what to do, we don’t give advice and adults don’t take control of youth lead projects. We create as many opportunities as possible for girls to be in leadership positions and adults DO NOT do all the important work and DO NOT make all the important decisions. Being empowered means that girls are active in the decisions they make about their lives.
At YWEP we give girls skills to become active in their lives, by involving them in leadership development as much as possible and by educating them about their rights, their money and their options.
Here are a few examples of how we teach empowerment:
At YWEP Harm Reduction means that we give practical options, no judgments, and we respect the choices that girls make. We will work with any girl to find resources that she thinks will be helpful to her. We believe that girls do what they have to do to survive and we don’t question why a girl is involved in the sex trade or street economy, instead we ask them what they think they need to stay safe, feel supported and take care of themselves.
Harm reduction means finding safer ways to practice a risky behavior. We define risk as anything that might put a girl in harms way. HIV, violence, STD’s theft, or depression are all examples of harmful things that might be avoided with information and support.
We help girls take responsibility for their actions and their choices by having honest conversations about real risks and real ways of avoiding risk.
We also believe that harm reduction is a philosophy that can work for any circumstance, not just for high risk situations. For example, wearing a seatbelt in a car is harm reduction. Or taking a day off work to sleep and relax when you are really stressed out is harm reduction too.
Here are some ways we practice Harm Reduction at YWEP:
At YWEP we bring social justice into our work by acknowledging and supporting resistance. We value the rebellion of girls impacted by the system. We encourage girls to look closely at the way things like racism, classism, sexism and homophobia play out and affect girls involved in the sex trade and street economy. We understand that the sex trade is not about one person, but about a system of things that all work together to oppress women, people of color, lesbian and transgender people and others too.
We offer education and support to girls so that they can begin to unpack what social justice means to women and girls involved in the sex trade. To some girls, this might mean working for rights, to other girls this might mean working to abolish the sex trade and to other girls it might mean both.
One way that we incorporate social justice into our daily work is by working to build community. We do this by helping girls find connections with each other, by looking closely at how we might play out sexism (like by calling girls “ho’s”) and by creating a respectful, free of judgment space where girls can get information about how to change the world.
We believe that social justice and empowerment go hand and hand. Empowered girls who are active in their own lives are making change just by being in charge of their choices and destiny.
Here are some ways we bring social justice to our work:
Popular education is a way of talking about ideas that helps to get people thinking critically about things so that they can act together as a community to address inequalities and injustices.
At YWEP we strive to expand our knowledge about each other and about the stories of social justice movements- our stories about our experience in foster care might sound like someone else’s story too. When we share our stories, we can find common ground to and being to work together to resist and fight back.
We practice popular education by:
Our mission as the Young Women’s Empowerment Project is to offer safe, respectful, free-of-judgment spaces for girls and young women impacted by the sex trade and street economies to recognize their goals, dreams and desires. We are run by girls and women with life experience in the sex trade and street economies. We are a youth leadership organization grounded in harm reduction and social justice organizing by and for girls and young women (ages 12-23) impacted by the sex trade and street economies.
Chicago Freedom School- http://www.www.chicagofreedomschool.com/ The MISSION of the Chicago Freedom School is to develop the personal and social capabilities of youth and adults so that they can work together to eradicate oppression.
Fierce- http://www.fiercenyc.org Fierce is a POC LGBTTSQ youth lead organizing project in New York City.
Young Women's Action Team- http://www.youngwomensactionteam.org Chicago Based Girls lead social justice campaign to end street harrassment
Females United For Action http://www.myspace.com/femalesunitedforaction Chicago Based Girls lead group that is concerned about media representations of women
National Youth Advocacy Coalition http://www.nyacyouth.org This is a national activist organization for LGBT youth and their allies.
Soul http://www.youthec.org This is an amazing school that helps young activists gain organizing and mobilization skills
Prison Moratorium Project http://www.nomoreprisons.org Located in Brooklyn, these folks work to end the building of youth detention centers and prisons
Sista to Sista http://www.sistaiisista.org This is a proactive space in New York City where young women of color can tap into their collective power to fight injustice
Center for Young Women's Development- http://www.cywd.org Based in California, this is a project run by and for young girls and women!!
Khmer Girls in Action http://www.kgalb.org California Based, this is an amazing leadership organization for Khmer girls in California
Sista's On the Rise http://www.sistasontherise.org Sistas on the Rise is a space for young women of color ages 13-21, to take ownership and power over their lives and create a healthy community.
Audre Lourde Project http://www.alp.org This is a radical queer people of color social justice organizing project in Brooklyn, NY. They have a youth organizing project too! Plus they do work around the sex trade and transgender issues. Check them out.
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Sister Song- http://www.sistersong.net Sister song is a radical project working on reproductive justice issues for women of color
Incite! http://www.incite-national.org This is an grassroots projects that unites women of color to end violence against women
Women of Color Resource Center http://www.coloredgirls.org/ This organization works to improve the lives of women and girls of color in the U.S.
Center for Women Population and the Environment http://www.cwpe.org Check out this site if you are looking to organize for reproductive justice issues for women and girls of color.
Video Machette- http://www.videomachete.org Chicago based radical film making folks!
Street Level Youth Media- http://www.street-level.org A youth lead film making project in Chicago!
Paper Tiger- http://www.nycgrassrootsmedia.org A New York based film making group that makes great documentaries on everything from queer lives to workers rights
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First Defense Legal AID http://www.first-defense.org These folks will respond to your call 24 hours a day if you are in police custody- You dont even have to be under arrest. Memorize this number 1-800-lawrep4
Sex Workers Project http://www.urbanjustice.org/ujc/projects/sex.htmlject New York based folks who are working with adults involved in the sex trade. They look at laws and policy to see how things change for the rights of people involved.
CRA http://www.anypositivechange.org Chicago's own life saving syringe exchange. Check out this site for great overdose prevention material as well as van sites to exchange your rigs!
HRC http://www.harmreduction.org A national coalition of harm reduction organizations that works for policy change at the federal and local levels. They also have a training calendar and an incredible conference
Dancesafe- http://www.dancesafe.org Offers great harm reduction information about Club Drugs and more
Drug policy alliance - http://www.drugpolicy.org These folks are working on ending the Drug War
Generation 5- http://www.generationfive.org This organization is doing national organization around violence, harm reduction and transformative justice. Look for YWEP collaborations with Generation 5 coming in 2007-2008
http://www.RethinkResources.net This is a great website full of information about the sex trade started by Claudine O'Leary
http://www.nomylamm.com Nomy Lamm is an amazing activist and performer who's writing is going to change the world!
http://www.eminism.com This site is run by an amazing queer person of color who's take on feminism and the sex trade is a must read.
http://www.positive.org Fabulous safer sex information from a sex positive stand point
The Youth Staff at the Young Women's Empowerment Project are into some amazing Social Justice work right now!!
At YWEP we believe in hiring girls and women with life experience in the sex trade and street economy. We are made up almost entirely of women and girls of color who want to support their community.
Communications Coordinator- Cindy Ibarra Cindy@youarepriceless.org
Youth Outreach Leader- Amber Kutka Amber@youarepriceless.org
Youth Leadership Coordinator- Ryanna Martina Adams Sandoval Ryanna@youarepriceless.org
Social Justice/Girls in Charge Leader- Dominique McKinny Dominique@youarepriceless.org
Popular Education/Workshop Leader-Isa Torres Isa@youarepriceless.org
Co-Director (Program) Shira Hassan Shira@youarepriceless.org
Co-Director (Fiscal/Board) Charity Crouse
Charity@youarepriceless.org
YWEP FAQ
Girls and young women with current or previous life experience in the sex trade learn in a paid 16 session peer education and outreach training how to educate and support other girls in the sex trade on how to take care of their body, emotions, relationships, money, rights, options and their whole selves. After the training, girls are supported and mentored in their on-going harm reduction outreach work. Girls are paid $25 a week for their 2 1/2 hours of work. Girls also participate in a leadership development and social justice group each week and are paid for their work here as well. In addition our project offers workshops and skill building trainings for youth and adults who work with youth.
Sometimes girls are very open about dancing in clubs or men offering them money for sex. Other times it can be hard to tell and making assumptions doesn’t help. So many girls from all over the city have been impacted by the sex trade - if you work in a school, youth program, shelter, counseling center or anywhere youth gather - you know someone who is or has been involved. Asking directly can be one way to find out. But youth can recognize from your words or body language or the negative consequences from a positive answer (like losing level in a program, everyone finding out or being asked to leave a program) that it’s not safe to answer truthfully.
Young Women’s Empowerment Project (YWEP) works with girls and young women from the ages of 12 to 23 who are currently or have been involved in trading sex or being sexual for money, gifts, drugs, or survival needs including exotic dancing, escorting, phone sex, adult internet sites, survival sex and all the other ways girls can affected by the sex trade and street economy.
Harm reduction is a practice of respectful, free of judgment engagement with people to find ways to be healthier, safer, and more in control of their lives without having to make sudden and immediate changes. We don’t ask that girls promise to stop using drugs, being sexually active or trading sex or being sexual for money or survival needs to participate in our project. We support youth who are seeking to exit too but often exiting the sex trade is a long process. We encourage and celebrate the small and slow changes people make in their lives.
YWEP is open to any person who identfies as a girl- so that means transgender girls are welcome here! We have many transmen who are allies to our work and support us in meaningful ways. We work in solidarity with transmen on issues that affect our shared spaces and communities.
You’ll notice we don’t use the word prostitution either. Use the words she uses and ask her if she wants to talk about it in private. Don’t be surprised if it takes some time before she decides to talk. Also you can post our information where youth can see it, distribute our cards and information (we can deliver some to you) to everyone and talk about how they might know youth who are impacted without making assumptions about any one young person, or invite us in to speak.
Just have the young woman call us. We can also arrange a meeting between the parent or adult staff making the referral and the youth to talk about our program. Please note that we do not accept mandated or involuntary participation.
Yes, this is a problem for girls everywhere, in every neighborhood, all over the world. We work with girls and young women from all over the city and suburbs and have no geographic limitations.
All of our activities are free. We receive funding from private contributions and foundation sources like AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Chicago Foundation for Women, Crossroads Fund, Girl’s Best Friend Foundation, Ms. Foundation for Women, Nathan Cummings Foundation, Prince Charitable Trusts, and Third Wave Foundation who make our work possible.
We need to be able to talk or meet with the young woman and hear directly from her that she wants to participate. We have no other requirements and do not need anyone’s file, assessment, testing results or any documentation or identification. We don’t even need to know the young person’s real name.
Girls hear about us through word of mouth, or they see a sign about our project, or because they meet someone who tells them about us. We also do groups at various locations where girls are, and sometimes they choose to continue to work with us after being in a group. You can help us reach girls by posting our information where all youth can see it.
Most of our groups/activities happen at our space at 2334 W. Lawrence Ave., Suite 209, but we are willing to work with youth and programs that work with youth to create a presence in locations all over the city as partners with community based organizations.
Yes, we would love to talk with girls at your school, program or youth group for a one-time introduction on who we are and what we know about this issue. We also offer workshops for adults through our partnership in the Harm Reduction Training Collaborative.
Well, we don’t really think that telling girls to stop is effective. We believe that people are involved in the sex trade and street economies for all different kinds of reasons, and that the best way to work with girls is to ask them how they want to improve their lives - they always have ideas, and we’d rather work with girls to realize their dreams then argue with them about what they are doing.
We do what we know best - educating and supporting girls to be leaders. Girls and young women impacted by the sex trade have multiple, complex needs and it will take a community effort to address it all. As a small project, we are making decisions about what we can do best. We have many connections across the city to assist youth with resources they need.
We think it’s most important to listen first, and talk only when asked. If you think that a young woman you know or work with may be involved in the sex trade, it’s important to ask how trading sex for money impacts her life, and then to work to respect and understand her decisions. Ask her what you can do and respect her wishes. We also recommend that you take action to discourage youth and staff from using derogatory language and labels for youth believed to be involved in trading sex for money.
What words mean to us.
Here’s what some of the girls in the project had to say about us:
"We are an all girl run project. We have all been directly affected by the sex trade. We won’t judge or try to change you. We just listen."
"YWEP is a place where girls can come to a non judgmental environment."
"I''ve been coming to YWEP for a long time. I’ve always felt supported, and like my opinion mattered. No one was ever judgmental."
The Young Women's Empowerment Project has four main program components.
Girls in Charge- Our paid weekly leadership group open to new girls. After Open Time you can stay for a GIRLS in CHARGE meeting from 7-8:30pm every Thursday (Please note that GIC will NOT meet from March 27th-June 10th)
Girls in Charge is the leadership group that makes all of the major decisions at YWEP.
Some things we have done at GIC in the past are:
Girls get paid for their work in GIC!
We offer bus fare and $20.00 to any girl who stays and works during the meeting!
Social Justice- After girls have completed the Outreach Worker training, girls can go on to get involved with our social justice work and campaigns! If you have a question about social justice contact dominique@youarepriceless.org
The Young Women's Empowerment Project also offers Popular Education Workshops in other settings. If you are in a detention facility, group home, treatment center or if you work for a non profit organization, college or other group that would like us to come and educate girls or staff about the sex trade- contact isa@youarepriceless.org or cindy@youarepriceless.org
At the Young Women's Empowerment Project girls can get involved right away!! If you are between the ages of 12-23 and have experience trading sex for money, drugs, a place to stay, survival needs, gifts or protection or gang involvement — then feel free to come by.
YWEP is open to any person who identifies as girl.. that means transgender girls are welcome here!
We have an Open Time every Thursday from 4-7pm where girls can:
After Open Time you can stay for a GIRLS in CHARGE meeting from 6:30-8:00pm every Thursday (Please note that GIC will NOT meet from March 27th-June 10th)
Girls in Charge is the leadership group that makes all of the major decisions at YWEP.
Some things we have done at GIC in the past are:
Girls get paid for their work in GIC!
We offer bus fare and $20.00 to any girl who stays and works during the meeting!
Girls and young women currently or previously in the sex trade learn how to offer one-to-one harm reduction information and support to other girls impacted by the sex trade on issues of sexual and reproductive health, street law, and positive options for health and safety for girls using drugs or active in the sex trade in a 40 hour training course we have developed as experienced trainers. This course is designed to be interactive and builds on the knowledge girls already possess.
After graduating from the training, girls are eligible to give harm reduction support, information resources and health supplies like condoms to girls in the sex trade through an outreach plan of their own making. YWEP outreach workers fill out booklets about each outreach time and receive on-going support and development. Girls receive $30 cash stipends for their participation in each 2 ½ hour training session and each 2 ½ hour outreach opportunity a week.
Popular education is more than making sure that everyone participates in workshops. Activists for decades have been using popular education practice to work together as educators and learners to open up problems and ask critical questions like: who benefits, why is it this way and what can be done to change the systems that affect us?
Our workshops on the sex trade with girls offer practical information like on myths and realities but mostly we are engaged in a process with young people across the city to question why the sex trade exists, why girls are involved and what can be done about it?
Our skill building workshops offer training to girls inside our project to improve their knowledge and abilities to take on leadership. We also offer workshops to organizations and collaboratives that want to improve their ability to work with girls and young women impacted by the sex trade.
The Young Women's Empowerment Project believes that every one deserves access to clean syringes and safer drug use information.
We offer a syringe exchange that is for GIRLS on THURSDAYS ONLY.
This means that any girl between the ages of 12-23 can stop by our offices between 4pm-7pm to pick up clean rigs and works or talk to other girls who get it.
If you have questions about HIV, Hep C, Vein Care or general questions about drugs we can answer those when you come to pick up.
You dont have to give your name or any other information to access syringes. You dont have to join our project or pay for anything. Everything is free and annonymous and super quick!