On April 22nd, 2023, the EmpowHer project held an online workshop titled “Amplifying Your Voice.” The goal of the workshop was to empower women living with chronic health conditions through self-advocacy. The workshop was led by Julia Mandeville and Vania Patrick-Drakes from the Barbados Association of Endometriosis and PCOS. The workshop covered the foundation of health literacy, the principles and benefits of self-advocacy, and goal setting.
The participants found the content to be thorough yet simple and adaptable. They appreciated the guidelines for self-advocacy, the personal bill of rights, the different types of self-advocacy and the sharing of testimonies from other participants.
Participants said they were ‘very likely’ or ‘likely’ to use the skills they learned in the workshop, and participants reported feeling more confident speaking up and advocating for themselves as a result of the workshop.
In conclusion, the “Amplifying Your Voice” workshop was successful in empowering women living with chronic health conditions through self-advocacy. The workshop provided valuable information and skills that participants can use to advocate for themselves and make informed decisions about their health.