Being Woman Informed
Woman Informed is an advocacy and training organization directing its energy to heal women from the harmful mental health impact of patriarchy and related systems that perpetuate sexism, misogyny, gender-based discrimination, gender-based violence and abuse, and oppressive constraints and expectations related to gender norms, opportunities, roles, personality, and lifestyle.
Being Woman Informed, we support awareness that all women are oppressed. Women’s situation is economic, social and political. This oppression is amplified based on the intersection of identities including racism, ageism, heterosexism, cisgenderism, ableism, classism, and fatism. Although intersectionality changes the specific experience of oppression, all women share the common harm on mental health and well being.
Being Woman Informed, we know that women’s internalized misogyny is the result of domination, prescribed androcentric gender norms, and the identity-based trauma felt within the system of patriarchy. We realize that internalized misogyny has a broad range of negative consequences for women’s mental health and relationships, and often operates below conscious awareness. Patriarchy is a self-perpetuating system. It perpetuates via both external and internal mechanisms. In women, this internalized mechanism, which we are calling internalized patriarchy, causes women to commit acts of horizontal oppression directed at other women, correcting them back into patriarchal norms. This issue is complicated because women who perceive less sexism experience more internalized misogyny.
Being Woman Informed, we realize the restoration of each woman’s voice is critical to her experience of freedom and ability to participate in authentic and intimate relationships. Healing the voice is the foundation for the development of an authentic and accurate self-concept and the ability to advocate for the individual’s valued self and advocate for other women. Women’s voices have collective power. This is threatening to patriarchal systems. Silencing women’s voices comes in many forms and is a form of oppression. We choose to speak up despite attempts at silencing. Patriarchy depends on women’s silence. Using our voices, and amplifying the voices of other women is an act of resistance.
Being Woman Informed, we understand that the patriarchal system is maintained by people across the gender spectrum, including women. Men are the dominant group of patriarchy. The patriarchy privileges all men over all women. The primary beneficiaries of patriarchy are cisgendered heterosexual white men, and the secondary beneficiaries of this system are largely cisgendered heterosexual white women. Because of this, cisgendered heterosexual white women are less likely to recognize the detrimental impact of patriarchy, and less likely to support women with intersectional identities.
Being Woman Informed, we know that patriarchal systems assign codes, scripts, meanings and social norms based on the gender binary that harm the mental health and relational abilities of people across the gender spectrum. We appreciate the need for all people to do their work in this area. We welcome people across the gender spectrum as allies for women as an oppressed group.
Being Woman Informed, we know that all women’s situations are amplified by male-privileged hierarchies, narrowly defined gender norms, violence against women, and identity-based trauma and oppression. The inequities impacting women’s well being and mental health are well-documented and, as a form of silencing, often not acknowledged.
Being Woman Informed, we value continuous learning, evolution, and change as new research, ideas and experiences contributes to our views, mission and training programs. We give credit where credit is due, and we amplify the brilliant voices of the researchers and authors contributing to the body of knowledge supporting women’s mental health and the deconstruction of patriarchy.
Being Woman Informed, we see the need for all mental health professionals to be Woman Informed as a prerequisite for the ethical practice of therapy to woman-identified individuals. We believe that being Women Informed is in the client’s best interest, supports client agency and choice, and is necessary to avoid being a participant in or complicit with the oppression that causes damage to both mental and physical well-being.
Being Woman Informed, we are committed to the inner metamorphosis of women. Each woman’s transformation contributes to her ability to participate in authentic and intimate relationships and to the collective well being of all women. We create a new situation for women as we rise to heal ourselves, all other women, and in turn, our society and world. When we heal together, we become heart powered.