Local Grassroots Highlight: Jersey City Women
Grassroots initiatives are critical to helping drive the change needed in our community. We can learn to advocate for our needs and issues that affect our livelihoods at the local level. Today, I wanted to share the work of a grassroots group known as Jersey City Women (JCW), as I feel residents must know about the incredibly critical work they are doing. JCW was created to amplify and elevate the voices of all girls and women. Through engagement, research, and advocacy, they hope to achieve their long-term goal of creating a JC Commission on the Status of Women. A Commission on the Status of Women is an official body found in major cities and states that advocate for change in policy and action to establish gender equality. In addition, the group hopes to create social human infrastructure campaigns that address and raise awareness on street harassment, childcare, and women-centric economics.
Let’s dive in and learn more about the founders and what inspired both to start Jersey City Women.
Meet the founders! Eiko La Boria and Monica Meiterman-Rodriguez
View this post on Instagram
Eiko La Boria is a long-time Jersey City resident. As a social commentator, writer, poet, and a United State of Women Ambassador for New Jersey, she is passionate and fights for gender equity. She is also the founder of The Flow Initiative, a grassroots nonprofit dedicated to eradicating period poverty, establishing menstrual equity, and elevating gender equality. Through her work in the Flow Initiative, the idea to create Jersey City women was born. “The more layers I peeled, the more apparent it became to me that women in Jersey City are treading water when it comes to representation and women-centric policies that truly have the potential to transform the culture of Jersey City and Hudson County, which is predominately a boys club culture,” shared Eiko.
View this post on Instagram
Monica Meiterman-Rodriguez is a New Jersey native and an attorney working in privacy and data protection with a passion for gender and racial equality. Her passion for social justice began in Law School as a student attorney in the housing rights clinic providing pro bono legal services to tenants facing eviction. Here, she witnessed and experienced firsthand how broken or abused systems disproportionately affected women and BIPOC and decided to find a way to use her education to advocate for and elevate the people whose voices were not being heard.
Eiko and Monica met through the Jersey City Women’s Collaborative. When Eiko shared her ideas for supporting women in overcoming the barriers and struggles in Jersey City, Monica quickly agreed to help with the creation and launch of JCW. Together, they have been working hard to provide women with a platform to feel comfortable discussing issues they face in Jersey City, which are often not addressed or discussed consistently.
Hearing Directly from the Community
View this post on Instagram
Eiko and Monica wanted to engage with the community as much as possible to drive change. To do this, they launched a public and anonymous survey in January 2021 better to understand the needs of women in Jersey City. The survey allowed women to tell their stories and issues on the ground that impact them directly. Through the survey, they learned that an overwhelming number of women (about 77%) have now experienced Gender and Racial Inequality and Sexual Harassment. In addition, about 65% of women have experienced problems due to lack of maternal support and food and healthcare accessibility. “The one prevalent pattern is that a high number of women are dissatisfied with the situation in Jersey City when it comes to women. However, when afforded a platform to express their dissatisfaction, surround themselves with other women that want to provoke change, they feel comfortable expressing it and exploring ways to make cultural and political change,” said Eiko.
Further, Monica added, “Based on conversations with our community, and further proven by our survey results, women all over the country (and the world) were disproportionately affected by the pandemic and are still working to recover. The issues women face can include employment and housing security, food and healthcare access, maternal support, domestic violence and sexual assault prevention and support, and period poverty assistance.”
Jersey City Women is the first platform to shed awareness on these issues at a grassroots level in Jersey City. The survey is still public, and individuals are encouraged to provide their input. The survey can be accessed here.
Upcoming Events – Jersey City Women Town Hall
View this post on Instagram
To provide women and girls with a chance to voice their concerns and opinions, the organization has held several town halls from sexual harassment, equal pay, childcare to environmental justice. In their upcoming town hall, taking place on September 14th, you can expect to hear from women elected officials and candidates who are running and their experiences of working towards a more inclusive community. Eiko shared how “In Hudson County, 77% of elected officials are men while the top two demographics of people living in poverty are women between the ages of 18-34 and 35-44. Yet, the largest and largest growing voting bloc are women. In Jersey City and Hudson County, women must learn to vote in their own best interest and create a mandate that pushes women forward. We should expect more and tolerate less,” said Eiko. This town hall will be a great chance to learn from women running for council and how you too can get involved in local politics. The event is free to join, but due to limited space, please register in advance!
You Can Help Elevate Women’s Roles in Jersey City
View this post on Instagram
No matter what your skill is, you can help elevate women’s roles in Jersey City too. Jersey City Women is currently in need of volunteer assistance to enable its mission forward. Whether you are a community advocate or passionate about women’s issues, they have opportunities including but not limited to canvassing, marketing, volunteer management, fundraising, general promotion, and more. Many folks are not yet aware of the existence of JCW, so raising awareness is crucial. A simple share can make a significant impact. So, help in whatever capacity you can! Monica and Eiko would love to hear from you, so if interested in helping, email jerseycitywomen@protonmail.com, or you can fill out their volunteer form.
Stay connected!
For the latest updates and events, make sure to follow via Instagram and Facebook @jerseycitywomen.
Author: Arati Patel
Arati is a professional immersed in the environmental and animal welfare field. In her free time, she enjoys walking and spending time with shelter dogs, exploring the outdoors, and always ready to find a new coffee shop. A born and raised Jersey City local, she considers herself a life-long learner who is ready to write and craft inspiring stories to share with everyone!
