AREAS OF FOCUS
KWISA’s project work focuses on the following thematic areas:
WOMEN’S HEALTH & WELLBEING– We advoate on issues concerning the the sexual and reproductive health of women and girls and with a particular focus on activities and initiatives that address the health inequalities that disproportionately affect women of African descent.
GENDER BASED VIOLENCE – We campaign to end violence against women and girls as well as harmful traditional practices affecting them such as FGM
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT – We champion initiatives and create opportunities for women of African descent to to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to improve their financial outcomes.
RESEARCH & POLICY – Within the organisation, and in partnership with other institutions, we work to develop or contribute to original research that enhances the knowledge of issues affecting African communities in Scotland. Our work in this area is especially geared to leading to better policy outcomes for affected communities.
CURRENT PROJECTS
NAUWU (Nothing About Us Without Us) Maternity Health Project/
NAUWU is a community participatory initiative which aims to end inequities in maternal health outcomes and experience for ethnic minority womxn of African Caribbean descent living in the Scottish diaspora through asset framed, culturally nuanced, empowering community education, participation & accountable co-production.
The initiative is a collaboration between KWISA, communities of WAD and maternity voices partnership ( MVP) in NHS Lothian. This collaboration aims to reclaim the narrative around the reproductive well-being and aspirations of people from the African diaspora living in Lothian. The African diaspora consists of descendants of involuntary and voluntary emigration out of Africa, regardless of their place of birth or nationality. Therefore, we acknowledge that WAD may also be nationals of countries in the Caribbean, North America, South America, Central America, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Africa. This initiative is focused on the primary users of maternity services who are individuals assigned female at birth who may identify as women, non-binary folk or trans men. This is whom we refer to with the term ‘womxn’. Read more about the initiative and it’s objectives here.
FGM & VAWG
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