Get Empowered:
Skills for Advocates
at Work and Beyond

No matter where you are – at home, at work, or walking down the street at night – you deserve to feel safe. Unfortunately, gender socialization and other social-cultural messages make it difficult for women and LGBTQIA+ people to claim our power and use our voices.

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Approximately two-thirds of anti-violence advocates identify as survivors of violence (We Deserve Better Project, 2023; RAFT, 2022). When we’ve experienced harassment, abuse, or assault, messages based in systems of oppression can also be barriers to healing. This can lead to reduced effectiveness and quality of services, as well as (re)traumatization and burnout among anti-violence workers.

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We also know that anti-violence workers have experienced discrimination, harm, and exploitation at their workplaces. Nearly 60% of anti-violence workers shared that they have challenged leadership and made attempts to hold their organization accountable, though many report that they are met with resistance, and in some cases, retaliation. An advocate from Kentucky shared, “We are taught to advocate for our clients but when it comes to us the rules seem to become unclear regarding how to stay safe while doing our jobs” (We Deserve Better Project, 2023).

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This workshop will explore how to take up space, say what you want, and let go of self-blame. Whether you’re looking for ways to advocate for yourself and your colleagues, you’re a survivor focused on healing, or you’re hoping to empower your clients, this workshop will give you the tools you need to thrive.

 

This workshop offers new methods to help us:

• defy societal messages telling us to be passive,

• understand and honor our choices,

• advocate for ourselves and our colleagues,

• heal from experiences of harassment, abuse, and discrimination,

• and create healthier workplaces.
   

Based on the book “Get Empowered: A Practical Guide to Thrive, Heal, and Embrace Your Confidence in a Sexist World” this workshop will use an anti-racist framework to help undo some of the harm patriarchy has done to all of us. This book is a powerful resource for facilitating individual and collective change, building capacity and strength for survivors and those who serve them.  

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Note: This is an interactive and participatory workshop. For a successful training, each person should be on their own device (laptop, tablet, phone). We encourage you to have your cameras on, and we’ll invite participation for effective learning.  Only 100 spots available. This workshop will NOT be recorded, so please only sign up if you plan on attending!

 

The workshop will be hosted online via Zoom. Once registered, you will receive a link to access the meeting. Closed captioning will be available. 

 

If you have any questions, please email us at collectivelysoaring@gmail.com.

 

About the Presenter:

Lauren R. Taylor has been working to end gender-based violence since 1978, when she co-founded Washington, D.C.’s first shelter for abused women. As an empowerment self-defense teacher and founder-director of Defend Yourself, she and her team have trained more than 35,000 people in the D.C. area, around the country, and elsewhere in the world. She's also trained dozens of trainers around the country and around the world. 

 

Lauren wrote the book Get Empowered: A Practical Guide to Thrive, Heal, and Embrace Your Confidence in a Sexist World , co-authored with Nadia Telsey. 

Lauren co-founded and directed Safe Bars, which teaches active bystander skills to staff of bars, restaurants, breweries, and clubs, working to create safe and respectful hospitality spaces. 

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Lauren’s work has been featured in The Washington Post, Self, the Huffington Post, and on National Public Radio, Upworthy, and .Mic. Her writing has been published in The Washington Post, Ms. Blog, and more. She has spoken at the National Sexual Assault Conference, the National Center for Victims of Crime Conference, Creating Change, and the Houston Women's Conference, and others.

Learn more about Lauren’s work here. 

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About the Host:
The SOAR Collective aims to mobilize advocates to demand accountability and revolutionize the way anti-violence organizations operate. Using an anti-oppression and anti-racism lens, we work to support victim service advocates while reimagining the movement.

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Learn more about The SOAR Collective here or visit us on Instagram @TheSOARCollective