Our History
Healing to Action grew out of the Coalition Against Workplace Sexual Violence, a cross movement collaboration uniting Chicago’s labor and anti-violence movements to address sexual violence against low-wage workers. Founded in 2012, the Coalition trained hundreds of low-wage workers in the Midwest, and organized survivor agencies behind worker-led campaigns like the Illinois Domestic Workers Bill of Rights.
Workers participating in Coalition activities voiced the need for a worker-led, multicultural, cross-industry response to prevent gender-based violence in their communities. In 2016, Healing to Action formed in response to this call to action. It soon released “Digging Deep Into Our Movements: Strategies to Stop Gender-based Violence Against Chicago’s Low-wage Workers.” This groundbreaking report detailed gaps in services and potential innovative strategies address gender-based violence against low-wage workers.
Today, Healing to Action continues to respond to the broader and ongoing demand of survivors to address the root causes of gender-based violence, including economic inequity, racial injustice, ableism, and heteropatriarchy.
Our Impact
Since 2016:
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HTA collaborated with over 500 workers to deepen their political education and develop new strategies to end gender-based violence in their communities.
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94% of leaders successfully completed HTA’s flagship leadership program
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HTA leaders launched their first grassroots campaign, SexEd Works, to address the root causes of gender-based violence
Our Mission
To end gender-based violence by building the leadership and collective power of the communities most impacted.
Our Vision
A future free from gender-based violence.