Why does Proyecto Matria exist?
Poverty is no longer defined solely by a lack of money, but as a reduced ability to self-manage the satisfaction of one’s own needs. It is also the “insufficient availability of economic resources, of which inadequate personal income is only one possible cause.”
Given this, and considering the limited access many of our women have to the goods, resources, and services they need to develop their capacities, it is necessary to conclude that poverty, stemming from the conditions they face because of their gender, is a problem we must eradicate as a society and as a country.
In this sense, poverty may stem from a lack of goods, public services, and access to resources owned and managed by the community, among other factors. If a person’s lack of access to any of these resources contributes to the failure of their basic capabilities, that person is considered poor.
To achieve gender equity and, in turn, an adequate balance between the needs of all sectors of our society, we must look at our economic development strategies through the lens of these needs.
In Puerto Rico, a woman head of household who does not work and has a nuclear family of three people, survives on $11 a day. This amount is much lower if we consider that some of these women have PAN as their only income, in which case, it is possible that they survive on $5 a day for each member of their family.
It is also interesting to note that the number of female-headed households has increased dramatically and, according to demographer Judith Rodriguez, this increase will continue in the coming years. This leads us to look at two additional points that concern us as a society:
Is Puerto Rico the only country that is obliged to look at this reality? Definitely not. At the international level, important organizations such as the United Nations have stated that women's economic development must be part of any effort to eradicate poverty.
Poverty is no longer defined merely as a lack of money, but as a reduced level of ability to self-manage the satisfaction of one's own needs. It is also the "insufficient availability of economic resources, of which inadequate personal income is only one possible cause".
Thus, poverty can have among its causes the insufficiency of goods, public services and access to resources owned and managed by the community, among others. If a person's lack of access to any of these resources contributes to accelerating the failure of his or her basic capabilities, that person would be considered poor.
Having said this, and taking into account the limited access that our women have to the goods, resources and services they need to develop their capabilities, it is necessary to conclude that poverty, as a result of the conditions they live in by virtue of their sex, is an evil that we must eradicate as a society and as a country.
In order to achieve gender equity and, in turn, achieve an adequate balance between the needs of all sectors of our society, we must look at our economic development strategies from the perspective of their needs.
That is why Matria exists...
Our History
In 2004, a group of women decided to found what is now Proyecto Matria. We all knew we wanted to work with survivors of domestic violence and give them a chance to rebuild their lives in peace. Our slogan in 2004 was prophetic: "From dependence to independence, a path of transformation. Since that year we have grown to adapt our services to the women and the country we serve.
Transitional housing (Gaia) and economic development (Alquimia) services in 2004 are now much more extensive.
The following is a brief chronology of our development:
