Women-led Community Development Organizations (CDOs) in Miami-Dade County: A Model of Community Development Efforts Impacting the Economic Security of Women

Recent studies on the economic status of women in Miami-Dade County (MDC) reveal an alarming rate of economic insecurity and significant obstacles for women to achieve economic security. Consistent barriers to women’s economic security affect not only the health and wellbeing of women and their families, but also economic prospects for the community. A key study reveals in Miami-Dade County, “Thirty-nine percent of single female-headed families with at least one child are living at or below the federal poverty level” and “over half of working women do not earn adequate income to cover their basic necessities” (Brion 2009, 1). Moreover, conventional measures of poverty do not adequately capture women’s struggles to support themselves and their families, nor do they document the numbers of women seeking basic self-sufficiency. Even though there is lack of accurate data on women in the county, which is a critical problem, there is also a dearth of social science research on existing efforts to enhance women’s economic security in Miami-Dade County. My research contributes to closing the information gap by examining the characteristics and strategies of women-led community development organizations (CDOs) in MDC, working to address women’s economic insecurity. The research is informed by a framework developed by Marilyn Gittell, who pioneered an approach to study women-led CDOs in the United States. On the basis of research in nine U.S. cities, she concluded that women-led groups increased community participation and “by creating community networks and civic action, they represent a model for community development efforts” (Gittell, et al. 2000, 123). My study documents the strategies and networks of women-led CDOs in MDC that prioritize women’s economic security. Their strategies are especially important during these times of economic recession and government reductions in funding towards social services. The focus of the research is women-led CDOs that work to improve social services access, economic opportunity, civic participation and capacity, and women’s rights. Although many women-led CDOs prioritize building social infrastructures that promote change, inequalities in economic and political status for women without economic security remain a challenge (Young 2004). My research supports previous studies by Gittell, et al., finding that women-led CDOs in Miami-Dade County have key characteristics of a model of community development efforts that use networking and collaboration to strengthen their broad, integrated approach. The resulting community partnerships, coupled with participation by constituents in the development process, build a foundation to influence policy decisions for social change. In addition, my findings show that women-led CDOs in Miami-Dade County have a major focus on alleviating poverty and economic insecurity, particularly that of women. Finally, it was found that a majority of the five organizations network transnationally, using lessons learned to inform their work of expanding the agency of their constituents and placing the economic empowerment of women as central in the process of family and community development.

Pelvic-Floor Rehabilitation, Part 2 : Pelvic-Floor Reeducation With Interferential Currents and Exercise in the Treatment of Genuine Stress Incontinence in Postpartum Women : A Cohort Study

Background and Purpose. This descriptive cohort study investigated a physical therapy program of pelvic-floor neuromuscular electrostimulation (NMES) combined with exercises, with the aim of developing a simple, inexpensive, and conservative treatment for postpartum genuine stress incontinence (GSI). Subjects. Eight female subjects with urodynamically established GSI persisting more than 3 months after delivery participated in the study. The subjects ranged in age from 24 to 37 years (X̅=32, SD=4.2). Methods. This was a descriptive multiple-subject cohort study. Each subject received a total of nine treatment sessions during 3 consecutive weeks, consisting of two 15-minute sessions of NMES followed by a 15-minute pelvic-floor muscle exercise program. Patients also practiced daily pelvic-floor exercises during the 3-week treatment period. The treatment intervention was measured using three separate variables. Maximum muscle contractions (pretraining, during training, and posttraining) were measured indirectly as pressure, using perineometry. Urine loss pretraining and posttraining was measured by means of a Pad test. Self-reported frequency of incontinence was recorded daily throughout the period of the study, using a diary. Data were analyzed using a one-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), a Wilcoxon signed-ranks test, and a Friedman two-way ANOVA by ranks. Results. The results indicated that maximum pressure generated by pelvic-floor contractions was greater and both the quantity of urine loss and the frequency of incontinence were lower following the implementation of the physical therapy program. Five subjects became continent, and three others improved. A follow-up survey 1 year later confirmed the consistency of these results. Conclusion and Discussion. The results suggest that the proposed physical therapy program may influence postpartum GSI. Further studies are needed to validate this simple, inexpensive, and conservative physical therapy protocol.

NEIGHBORHOOD PERCEPTION OF SAFETY AND THE MOBILITY GAP BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN OLD AGE

Thesis (Master, Community Health & Epidemiology) -- Queen's University, 2016-10-02 21:02:07.735