Proyecto Matria, Inc.

In Proyecto Matria (Matria) we are a community, feminist and human rights organization. Our mission is to transform society and advance equity through actions aimed at educating, promoting and facilitating the empowerment and economic development of women and other excluded groups. Since its origins in 2004, Matria has dedicated itself to working on the economic and social rights of women victims of gender-based violence or low-income head of households. Along the way, that mission has been expanded to work for the rights of other vulnerable communities, such as LGBT communities, and after Hurricane Maria we are working with a broader definition of families that includes families in rural a... read more In Proyecto Matria (Matria) we are a community, feminist and human rights organization. Our mission is to transform society and advance equity through actions aimed at educating, promoting and facilitating the empowerment and economic development of women and other excluded groups. Since its origins in 2004, Matria has dedicated itself to working on the economic and social rights of women victims of gender-based violence or low-income head of households. Along the way, that mission has been expanded to work for the rights of other vulnerable communities, such as LGBT communities, and after Hurricane Maria we are working with a broader definition of families that includes families in rural areas of Puerto Rico. Matria has six basic programs that include: Libera (Business Incubator), Gaia (Permanent Housing Program), Gaia Arcoiris (Transitional Housing Program for LGBT people), Arepa Chic (Micro-franchise to create full time jobs), Aurum (micro-credits) and Casa Solidaria Matria (community development and recovery project). Matria has provided temporary and permanent housing services to more than 700 women and their families through its GAIA programs. In its economic development program, which includes the Libera incubator and the training and work program, we have assisted more than 600 women. It should be noted that Matria developed its own business incubation model and it has been presented in international forums with very good results. We has also developed publications on empowerment and entrepreneurship. We are part of various initiatives to defend human rights and we are recognized as an organization that manages to respond with projects and actions to social and economic inequalities. Our base of participants comes from 15 towns around the Island. You can read more about Matria in www.proyectomatria.org