Brazilian Womens Group Inc

Workers' rights bwg educates brazilian immigrant workers on the rights of workers in the united states, and organizes workers to advocate for their rights and to denounce violations of their rights. Bwg has organized a workers' council, and offers trainings in partnership with the brazilian workers' center. Trainings include osha work accident prevention trainings. Some workers are referred to bwg by other community organizations, hospital social workers or psychologists, but most by word of mouth from workers who have participated in and benefited from this project. Organizers meet in person or by phone and virtually with workers complaining about violations to determine if there is a basis to pursuing legal action. When needed, cases are referred to the massachusetts attorney general's office, greater boston legal services (gbls), massachusetts department of labor (dol), justice at work, or to attorney stacei sobosik. The bwg also works with the massachusetts attorney general's office on strategies for implementation of the domestic workers bill of rights and labor deferred action (dale). Bwg negotiates with employers when possible to recoup wage theft and runs educational meetings for employers on the issue.bwg also runs workshops and trainings for domestic workers. As a member of the national domestic workers alliance, the brazilian women's group benefits from a series of virtual workshops and participates in virtual and in-person actions to advocate for the national domestic workers bill of rights, immigration reform and other legal benefits for domestic workers. In 2024, the workers' rights project worked on 64 cases of workers' rights violations, and recouped $64,173 in wage theft and unpaid overtime for workers. The bwg also has submitted eight cases of labor deferred action to dol and gbls.a coalition of workers' centers, created in 2020 to support centers and their members during the pandemic, continues to meet regularly.

Annual brazilian independence day festival the festival is a week-long program that runs during the first week of september, culminating with an outdoor festival at herter park, soldier's field rd, boston. The festival celebrates and promotes awareness of brazilian history and culture, by bringing together as many as 7,000 attendees from all walks of life, at least 75% of which are brazilian immigrant families from across new england. The festival supports the community by providing an opportunity for non-profits to distribute information about support they offer to the community. It also provides important opportunities for community building and celebration of brazilian identity and culture, and provides economic opportunities for the community, enabling brazilian-owned businesses to sell their wares and access new clients. The festival is organized in partnership with the massachusetts alliance of portuguese speakers and the consulate general of brazil in boston. All events are free, open to the public, and wheelchair accessible.

Immigrants rights/civic engagement this program provides services and referrals for immigrants. Bwg organizes weekly live events on its social media to provide legal assistance and information on immigration and on family affairs, health, housing, job placement, among other topics. In 2024 bwg helped 12 students to renew daca eligibility (deferred action for childhood arrivals). Bwg also helped 72 brazilians to renew their brazilian passports and apply for power of attorney, in addition to providing many walk-in services, such as translation of 48 documents. Bwg continues to work to find and support immigrants in detention, and continues to organize grassroots support for immigration reform, including driver's licenses, the dream act, in-state tuition for immigrant residents of massachusetts, the safe communities act, language justice legislation, and the keep families together - stop deportations campaign. Bwg promotes participation in elections through: citizenship classes; voter registration; and its ongoing outreach program of community meetings, articles, interviews and public service announcements in the portuguese-language media. Other programming: 1) vida verde cooperative the co-op provides trainings on making and using green (non-toxic) housecleaning products, encourages healthy work practices, and promotes a sense of community among its members. Bwg produced a podcast of stories of domestic workers in partnership with the faxina podcast. Since 2006, bwg has sponsored the co-op, providing the members help with client communications and referrals, in addition to professional training, and education about use of safe cleaning products. The women's cooperative has been transitioning into a training center and has offered a six-month training program in partnership with the umass-lowell turi (toxic use reduction institute). The co-op still links co-op members to clients, but the focus has been on planning training for housecleaners with the goal of educating domestic workers on the risks of cleaning with chemicals, and on cooperatives as a sustainable way of working. In 2024 we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the passing of the ma domestic workers bill of rights (bor) at the state house. For the last year and a half, the women's coop has been strengthening its education about the law since a survey conducted by boston college pointed out that 75% of domestic workers do not know about the bor.2) facebook live eventsstarted in 2020 to inform and educate the community about covid-19, this program continues to expand. In 2024 bwg presented 107 live streaming events on facebook and instagram, viewed by 18,657. These programs discussed topics such as health, women's health, immigration and family-related legal issues, immigrant rights, mental health, housing security, food insecurity, financial education, workers' rights, among others. Presenters were doctors, lawyers, teachers, community leaders, community members, and bwg staff and members.3) mental health supportprovided mental health referrals and support to staff members and members of the community. 4) radio showbwg continues to produce a weekly portuguese-language radio show addressing a wide range of topics of concern to immigrant workers. 5) communications bwg continues to:- maintain a bilingual website and distribute regular "e-newsletters" to a list of about 900 people. - maintain two whatsapp groups to facilitate communication with the community, with 5,777 combined membership.- screen free monthly brazilian films by zoom, in partnership with digaa, a cultural website.- maintain a small lending library. 6) additional services staff and volunteers are available daily, on a walk-in basis and by phone, to respond to requests for information and help in a wide variety of areas including: immigration; housing; health care; employment; workers' rights; domestic violence; sexual harassment and violence; education (early childhood through university), translation, and classes in citizenship preparation and esl. Due to the high level of need in the community, bwg had to acquire an additional phone in 2024 to increase communication by whatsapp.