Women-only Programs Research Articles

Her village: experiences of drug-involved women in a female-only aftercare program in the Philippines

PurposeWomen are exposed to vulnerabilities that can lead to drug use or hinder recovery. However, there is a dearth of studies on recovery programs for women. This study aims to add to the literature by examining the feasibility of a women-only aftercare program for recovering users in the Philippines.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a mixed-method design with pre and post-program surveys used to measure changes in participants’ recovery capital. Focused group discussions elicited participants’ context, their reactions, perceived outcomes and suggestions on the program.FindingsWomen in the program shared narratives of pain, trauma and abuse before treatment. Participants reported significant improvements in personal, community and family recovery capital dimensions. The program enabled personal growth in the form of new knowledge, skills and self-confidence. The women-only program also provided a safe space for women, to receive support from other women, community members and family. However, the women continue to face continuing challenges related to stigma and discrimination and a lack of livelihood opportunities.Research limitations/implicationsA limitation of the study was its small sample size and the lack of a control group. Another limitation was the variability in treatment received by the women, which could have affected overall outcomes. Future studies using a randomized control trial and longitudinal designs may provide more robust conclusions on the effectiveness of the program.Practical implicationsGiven punitive contexts, gender-sensitive and trauma-informed programs and services for women involved in drug use could potentially mitigate the abuse, stigma and vulnerabilities they experience.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the sparse literature on women-only aftercare, particularly in countries that criminalize drug use.

Commentary on Rosen et al.: Attending to the unique needs of pregnant and parenting women at risk for overdose.

Women experience unique determinants of overdose risk, including fears concerning child protective services involvement and child custody loss. When addressing the risk for opioid overdose, harm reduction services must account for the needs of pregnant and parenting people. Decades of research has examined the unique social, structural and policy drivers of drug-related harms among women who use drugs (WWUD). Much of this research has been concerned with the social dynamics of drug use and how women's intimate relationships influence harm through patterns of drug use initiation, control over drug use and sexual and injection-related risk for HIV and HCV acquisition [1-6]. Rosen et al. [7] bring this scholarship into the current era by addressing the nature of and reasons for solitary drug use (a risk factor for overdose death [8]) among WWUD. They identify three motivations for solitary drug use among women in their sample: (i) the need to alleviate opioid withdrawal symptoms, (ii) a desire to avoid anticipated and experienced substance use stigma and (iii) an attempt to reduce vulnerability to violence while intoxicated. An important additional consideration emerging in our research is the fear of child protective services (CPS) involvement among pregnant and parenting WWUD 1 and how that fear influences solitary drug use and other overdose risk factors. Some have argued that families are ground zero for the US drug war [9], and WWUD and their children (especially in communities of color) have been subjected to increased harms. In the United States, 53% of Black children will have CPS involvement by their 18th birthday [10], and parental substance use was a condition of removal for nearly 40% of all children placed in foster care in 2019 [11]. We have found that fear of CPS involvement weighs heavily upon women's decisions about when, where and with whom to use drugs. In our unpublished but forthcoming study on the acceptability of overdose prevention sites (a harm reduction strategy recommended by Rosen et al. to address the concerns in their study), women who had children living at home (or were care-givers to family members) found themselves in need of a safe space to use drugs that was both (i) outside the home and (ii) supervised in case of overdose. In the absence of such a site, some respondents describe using opioids alone, out of sight of children and other family members. Providing a supervised environment for parents while also reducing children's exposure to parental substance use and the trauma of a parent's overdose is a potential benefit of overdose prevention sites. We have also found that fear of CPS influences decisions to seek emergency medical assistance for an overdose by calling 911 [12]. It is well established that people who use drugs fear calling 911 because of the risk of law enforcement involvement [13] In our state, Nevada, where a 911 Good Samaritan Law protects 911 callers from some charges, involvement with CPS is not specifically protected under the law, leading to more risk to parenting women and heightened fear related to summoning help for overdose response. To our knowledge, this protection is not included in any state's 911 Good Samaritan Law. Similar to our findings in the later years of the HIV epidemic [6], in which we identified a host of competing priorities that challenged women's ability to negotiate HIV prevention behavior, Rosen et al.'s research [7] highlights issues that challenge women's ability to reduce their risk for fatal overdose. Harris et al. [14], too, recently found that women worry much more about their personal safety and care-giving responsibilities than the ‘inevitability’ of overdose. They conclude that gender-responsive harm reduction programming is needed to explicitly address women's concerns, including provision of child-care, women-only programs and women-focused mental health programming. We argue that other important additions to these gender-responsive approaches include explicit protections for pregnant and parenting people that keep parents safe from harm and guard against state surveillance that can result in family separation. None. L.L. is a staff member of the Washoe County Human Services Agency, in the CQI unit of Children's Services. Karla D. Wagner: Conceptualization; writing—original draft; writing—review and editing. Lisa Lee: Conceptualization; writing—original draft; writing—review and editing. None.

PERAN KOMUNIKASI PERSUASIF PADA PROGRAM SEKOPER CINTA DIKALANGAN KADER PKK DESA DI KECAMATAN CIJATI

The importance of the role of women in the family as wives, mothers, andcommunity members in terms of educating families in the community of victims ofdomestic violence (KDRT) and divorce that occurred led the West Java provincialgovernment to develop a women-only program, namely Sekolah Perempuan CapaiImpian dan Cita-cita (Sekoper Cinta). This program is interesting and important toresearch. The purpose of this research is to find out the persuasive communicationof Pokja 2 PKK Kecamatan in Sekoper Cinta program PKK Desa cadres InKecamatan Cijati Kabupaten Cianjur . This study uses qualitative methods with acase study approach. The authors collect data through interviews, observations,document studies of PKK activity records, present lists of cadres, photodocumentation of activities of Sekoper Cinta activities, the theory used isthe theoryof symbolic interaction. The result of this research is that the role of persuasivecommunication in Sekoper Cinta program should be done intimately, in socializingthe Program Sekoper Cinta accompanied by consideration of media selectionincluding pictures, flipcharts, videos and modules of soft file material accompaniedby interesting images so that the message can be easily understood by the targetbecause it is adjusted to age, education, and socio-cultural, Barriers to persuasivecommunication in Sekoper Cinta program among others speakers in socializingSekoper Cinta less active because it has never done public training speaking,memory and capture in receiving less information on PKK Desa cadres due toeducation level as well as some elderly cadres

Racialized Women in Sport in Canada: A Scoping Review.

This scoping literature review examines: What literature exists about the sport and physical activity experiences of racialized cis and trans women, adolescents, and girls in Canada? English language peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and gray literature published January 1, 2000, up to May 31, 2020, were examined. The databases used were SPORTDiscus via EBSCO, Sociological Abstracts, Sport Medicine and Education Index, and Google Scholar. The 42 studies and 15 gray literatures found included 1430 participants explicitly specified as racialized women/girl participants. There was a paucity of literature on the topic overall with none (n = 0) focused on experiences of racialized trans women. The limited research notes some successful programs that address racialized women's needs. However, the research also shows widespread experiences of discrimination against women based on racial group and language and limited access to culturally relevant or welcoming sporting opportunities, such as women-only programs and spaces. Much more research should be done to disaggregate "immigrants" into specific racial and ethnic groups, attend to intersectional identities and barriers, understand a wide range of involvement (eg,including coaching, high performance sport, recreation, exercise, university sport, mentorship programs), document racism and White privilege, and describe the joys of participation in sport for racialized women.

Treatment outcome and readmission risk among women in women-only versus mixed-gender drug treatment programs in Chile

IntroductionTraditional treatment programs for substance use disorder (SUD) tend to be male-dominated environments, which can negatively affect women's access to treatment and related outcomes. Women's specific treatment needs have led some providers to develop women-only SUD treatment programs in several countries. In Chile, women-only programs were only fully implemented in 2010. We compared treatment outcomes and readmission risk for adult women admitted to state-funded women-only versus mixed-gender SUD treatment programs in Chile. MethodsWe used a registry-based retrospective cohort design of adult women in women-only (N = 8200) and mixed-gender (N = 13,178) SUD treatment programs from 2010 to 2019. The study obtained data from the National Drug and Alcohol Service from Chile. We used a multistate model to estimate the probabilities of experiencing treatment completion, discharge without completion (i.e., patient-initiated discharge and administrative discharge), or readmission, as well as the likelihood of being readmitted, conditioned on prior treatment outcome. We adjusted models for multiple baseline characteristics (e.g., substance use, socioeconomic). ResultsOverall, 24% of women completed treatment and 54% dropped out of treatment. The proportion of patient-initiated discharges within the first three month was larger in women-only than in mixed-gender programs (19% vs. 12%). In both programs, women who completed treatment were more likely to experience readmission at three months, and one and three years. In the long term, women in the women-only programs were more likely to complete treatment than women in mixed-gender programs (34% vs. 23%, respectively). The readmission probability was higher among women who previously completed treatment than those who had a discharge without completion (40% vs 21% among women in women-only programs; 38% vs. 19% among women in mixed-gender programs, respectively); no differences occurred in the risk of readmission between women-only and mixed-gender programs. ConclusionsIn terms of treatment outcomes and readmission risk, women-only programs had similar results to mixed-gender programs in Chile. The added value of these specialized programs should be addressed in further research.

Successful Smoking Cessation among Women Smokers Based on Utilizing National Smoking Cessation Service Type in Korea.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the successful smoking cessation across different national smoking cessation services. Methods: This study included data that had been previously entered into the integrated information system for smoking cessation services and comprised 144,688 participants after excluding missing data. These clinics provide face-to-face counseling, phone calls, text messages, and e-mail services for six months and nine sessions. Results: The women-only program had the lowest success rate (11.3%). Compared with the women-only program, the six-month success rate of smoking cessation clinic at public health centers (OR = 3.72, CI = [3.52, 3.92]), visiting-type smoking cessation clinics (OR = 2.97, CI = [2.79, 3.16]), the residential 4 -night 5-day program (OR = 7.79, CI = [6.49, 9.35]), and a program for inpatients (OR = 2.36, CI = [1.89, 2.94]) showed a significant increase. Conclusions: Emotional labor workers who participated in the women-only program had low smoking cessation success rates, while those who participated in the residential 4-night 5-day program had high success rates.

Treatment Interventions for Women With Alcohol Use Disorder.

Women with alcohol use disorder (AUD) experience more barriers to AUD treatment and are less likely to access treatment than men with AUD. A literature review identified several barriers to women seeking help: low perception of a need for treatment; guilt and shame; co-occurring disorders; employment, economic, and health insurance disparities; childcare responsibilities; and fear of child protective services. Women entering treatment present with more severe AUD and more complex psychological, social, and service needs than men. Treatment program elements that may reduce barriers to AUD treatment include provision of childcare, prenatal care, treatment for co-occurring psychological problems, and supplemental social services. Research has suggested that outcomes for women are best when treatment is provided in women-only programs that include female-specific content. To date, research on treatments tailored to the individual needs of women is limited, but research on mechanisms of change has suggested the importance of targeting anxiety and depression, affiliative statements in treatment, abstinence self-efficacy, coping skills, autonomy, and social support for abstinence. Future research should focus on early interventions, linkages between primary care or mental health clinics and AUD treatment settings, and integrated treatments for co-occurring AUD and other disorders. Further research should also explore novel treatment delivery approaches such as digital platforms and peer support groups.

Mitos Kecantikan (Ketegangan Citra Perempuan di Bawah Budaya Televisi)

<p><em>The competition of the television industry in Indonesia creates open spaces for the image of women with the aesthetic standards they create. Television now is no longer just a medium of entertainment but as an ideal female image construction. Beautiful rules are no longer focused on women-only programs but have penetrated the entertainment, religious, reportage, politics, sports, economy, and crime segments. This research is to answer the problem of women's image presented on television, the influence and response are generated; also, the strategies in managing their identity. Applicatively, this research applies the Identity Management Theory pioneered by William R. Cupach and Tadasu Todd Imahori. This theory is used to dismantle the process of identity formed, maintained, and changed in a relationship. This study found several keywords that formulated the concept of managing women's self-identity. These keywords are: force dead/stiff, cornered/alienated; dilemma; and unstable for the context of cultural conflict, and approach; adjustments; and rejuvenation for the completion phase.</em></p>

The effects of leadership development on women's career success

This study extends our knowledge of leadership development, specifically Master's in Business Administration (MBA) programs, from a gender perspective. It presents a comprehensive case, women-only development program and conducts an empirical, longitudinal, qualitative study of the effect of one of the program modules, namely, the women-only MBA, on the women's career success. The empirical study focused on self-efficacy mechanisms for explaining the women's appraisals of their changes in abilities affecting their career success during the MBA program. The participants were interviewed twice: once at the beginning of the MBA and then after completing it. A trusting atmosphere, social support, new business competencies, and the participants' ability to re-frame their mindsets concerning women's career potential were detected as significant sources of self-efficacy gained from the MBA. Encouragement from significant others, typically respected males, was also found to be a promoting factor.

Women May Benefit From Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs Tailored to Their Specific Needs.

Women are much less likely than men to complete cardiac rehabilitation with only ≈15% to 20% of eligible women participating in comparison with 22% to 30% of eligible men. There are many reasons for this divide. Women are less likely to receive a referral for cardiac rehabilitation than men (39.6% versus 49.4%) even though the American Heart Association’s guidelines for treating women with cardiovascular disease recommend rehabilitation. “Women are less likely to get referred,” said Sherry L. Grace, a professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science at York University and the University Health Network in Toronto. “We also know that if they are referred they are less likely to go. There are structural and system barriers that we still need to address and overcome.” The onset of heart disease is often later in women than in men, and many women may be widowed, not able to drive, or otherwise lack the support they need to get to rehabilitation sessions, Grace explained. They may find exercising tiring or painful. They also may have caregiver responsibilities that hold them back from participating. “They put their family responsibilities in front of their health,” she said. To help boost women’s participation, some studies have found that tailoring cardiac rehabilitation programs …

Women's Health Behaviours and Psychosocial Well-Being by Cardiac Rehabilitation Program Model: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BackgroundCardiac rehabilitation (CR) is associated with significantly lower mortality and improved psychosocial well-being. However, women are less likely to participate than men. This trial tested whether participation in women-only CR results in better health behaviours and psychosocial outcomes than do other models. MethodsCardiac Rehabilitation for her Heart Event Recovery (CR4HER) was a single-blind randomized trial with 3 parallel arms. Low-risk cardiac patients were recruited from 6 sites in Ontario. Consenting participants completed surveys assessing health behaviours (physical activity, diet, medication adherence, smoking) and psychosocial well-being (social support, quality of life, depressive symptoms) and wore pedometers for 7 days. After intake assessment, eligible participants were randomized to mixed-sex, women-only, or home-based CR. Participants were mailed follow-up surveys and pedometers 6 months later. ResultsOne hundred sixty-nine patients were randomized, and 116 (68.6%) were retained. Self-reported physical activity increased among women in mixed-sex and women-only CR groups (per protocol and as treated, P < 0.05). Diet improved among women in women-only CR groups (as treated, P < 0.05). Quality of life improved among women in mixed-sex (per protocol and as treated, P < 0.05) and women-only CR groups (per protocol, P < 0.05; as treated, P < 0.01). After testing, women in the mixed-sex CR group had higher anxiety symptoms than did those in the women-only group (per protocol, P = 0.017), and those in the mixed-sex CR group had higher depressive symptoms than did those in the women-only group (as treated, P = 0.001). Analyses adjusted for confounding variables revealed no significant differences in any outcome by model. Post hoc equivalency tests were computed on a per-protocol basis, and all outcomes were equivalent by model. ConclusionsBehavioural and psychosocial outcomes were largely equivalent regardless of model; however, women-only programs may confer an advantage for anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Examining Students’ Perceptions of E-Learning in a Women-Only Environment

In terms of achieving growth and profitability, women play an important role in public and private organizations. Despite the increase of women in the workforce, they continue to be underrepresented in managerial positions. Appropriate initiatives need to be implemented in an organization to manage and retain women talent. Online courses catered specifically to women can provide women professionals with relevant development opportunities throughout their career, as these women-only programs allow women to freely discuss their particular issues and concerns in a supportive and safe climate. Apart from being flexible and cost effective, these online women-only courses provide an optimal learning environment for women to share and analyze the unique strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and opportunities facing women in the workplace. Yet, several questions exist concerning the design and delivery of such online courses, particularly from the student’s perspective. &#x0D; &#x0D; In this study, students' perceptions of e-learning in a women-only environment are examined. An exploratory study of female students enrolled in an Executive Certificate of Leadership for Women, which is a customized online program facilitated by international PhD qualified women faculty, is conducted to understand students’ perceptions of the various attributes of a women-only online learning course.

Women's preferences for cardiac rehabilitation program model: a randomized controlled trial.

Although cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is effective, women often report programs do not meet their needs. Innovative models have been developed that may better suit women. The objectives of the study were to describe: (1) adherence to CR model allocation; (2) satisfaction by model attended; and (3) CR preferences. Tertiary objectives from a randomized controlled trial of female patients randomized to mixed-sex, women-only, or home-based CR were tested. Patients were recruited from six hospitals. Consenting participants were asked to complete a survey and undertook a CR intake assessment. Eligible patients were randomized. Participants were mailed a follow-up survey six months later. Adherence to model allocation was ascertained from CR charts. Overall 169 (18.6%) patients were randomized, of which 116 (68.6%) completed the post-test survey. Forty-five (26.6%) participants did not receive the allocated model, with those referred to home-based CR least likely to attend the allocated model (n = 25; 45.4%). Semi-structured interviews revealed participants also often switched from women-only to mixed-sex CR due to time conflicts. Satisfaction was high across all models (mean = 4.23 ± 1.16/5; p = 0.85) but participants in the women-only program felt significantly more comfortable in their workout attire (p = 0.003) and perceived the environment as less competitive (p = 0.02). Patients equally preferred mixed-sex (n = 44, 41.9%) and women-only (n = 44, 41.9%) CR, over home-based (n = 17, 16.2%), with patients preferring the model they attended. Females were highly satisfied regardless of CR model attended but preferred supervised programs most. Patient preference and session timing should be considered in program model allocation decisions.

Be Active Together: Supporting Physical Activity in Public Housing Communities Through Women-Only Programs

Low-income and minority groups in the United States have low levels of physical activity that contribute to health inequities. In public housing communities, both built and social environments are key factors that impact residents' physical activity levels. To develop and evaluate women-only physical activity programs that provide women from cultures in which physical activity in mixed-gender settings is not acceptable (e.g., Muslim women) with physical activity opportunities. We describe the use of community-based participatory research (CBPR) process and evaluation feedback from our initial research and evaluation phases, including focus groups, to shape interventions. Active community engagement in all phases of research, including cultural tailoring of interventions, and decisions about location and affordability, was critical. Implementing interventions in public housing is feasible, but requires frequent feedback from residents and correction. The use of CBPR resulted in the implementation of a successful, culturally appropriate set of physical activity interventions, specifically for Muslim Somali women. Housing authorities should consider incorporating recreational facilities on site and women-only opportunities to provide venues for physical activity.

Physical Activity Attitudes, Beliefs, and Practices Among Women in a Woodland Cree Community

Overweight and obesity among Aboriginal women is a growing concern, with increasing prevalence rates linked to a sedentary lifestyle. Physical inactivity is a modifiable risk factor for unhealthy body weight; however before addressing health enhancing behaviors, understanding lifestyle practices, attitudes and beliefs are important. A mixed methods approach assessed physical activity (PA) practices (n = 58), and attitudes and beliefs (n = 19) among First Nations women. The Modifiable Activity Questionnaire assessed PA, and a focused ethnography explored attitudes and beliefs. Self-reported PA was highest in the youngest age group. Both total and leisure-time PA decreased when house-related activities were not accounted for. Younger participants reported sport-related activities, while older participants reported traditional activities (eg, berry picking, fishing). Participants' believed PA promoted good health, yet personal (ie, lack of time), community-specific (ie, lack of opportunities/encouragement) and environmental (ie, inclement weather, safety) factors acted as barriers. Age-specific, women-only programs were highlighted as potential enablers. The findings highlight the need to assess cultural specific practices, attitudes and beliefs as PA programs that focus on reducing barriers identified in the community and are designed based on expressed interest and preferences may improve leisure-related PA levels among all age groups.

HIV Prevention and Rehabilitation Models for Women Who Inject Drugs in Russia and Ukraine

Women who inject drugs require gender-specific approaches to drug rehabilitation, modification of risk behaviors, and psychosocial adaptation. Improved outcomes have been demonstrated when the specific needs of women's subpopulations have been addressed. Special services for women include prenatal care, child care, women-only programs, supplemental workshops on women-focused topics, mental health services, and comprehensive programs that include several of the above components. To address the special needs of women injecting drug user (IDU) subpopulations, such as HIV-positive pregnant women and women with young children, recently released female prisoners, and street-involved girls and young women, HealthRight International and its local partners in Russia and Ukraine have developed innovative service models. This paper presents each of these models and discusses their effectiveness and implementation challenges specific to local contexts in Russia and Ukraine.

CREATING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP TRANSFORMATION.

The article investigates the creation of a safe setting for women's leadership transformation and individual change through transformational learning. Qualitative data used for the study include interviews of participants in the Women's Leadership Series (WLS), and a formal women-only training program of the Gender and Diversity (G&D) program of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). The necessary elements to generate safety and create an environment that is conducive to transitional states and transformational learning are considered. A women-only environment's characterization by egalitarian norms and openness is also discussed.

Alcohol & Drug Abuse: What Is "Women-Focused" Treatment for Substance Use Disorders?

Alcohol & Drug Abuse: What Is "Women-Focused" Treatment for Substance Use Disorders?

Assessment and Treatment of Co-occurring Eating Disorders in Publicly Funded Addiction Treatment Programs

Publicly funded addiction treatment programs were surveyed to increase understanding of treatment options for persons with co-occurring eating and substance use disorders. Data were collected between 2002 and 2004 from face-to-face interviews with program directors of a nationally representative sample of 351 addiction treatment programs. Half of the programs screen patients for eating disorders; 29% admit all persons with eating disorders, and 48% admit persons with eating disorders of low severity. Few programs attempt to treat eating disorders. Programs that admit and treat patients with eating disorders are more likely to emphasize a medical-psychiatric model of addiction, use psychiatric medications, admit patients with other psychiatric disorders, and have a lower caseload of African-American patients. Generally, patients with co-occurring eating and substance use disorders do not appear to receive structured assessment or treatment for eating disorders in addiction treatment programs. These results highlight the need for education of addiction treatment professionals in assessment of eating disorders.

Women-only and mixed-gender drug abuse treatment programs: Service needs, utilization and outcomes

Objectives This prospective longitudinal study examined service needs, utilization and outcomes for 189 women in women-only (WO) programs and 871 women in mixed-gender (MG) programs. Methods The Addiction Severity Index was administered at both intake and the 9-month follow-up interview to assess clients’ problem severity and outcomes, and the Treatment Service Review was given at the 3-month interview to measure service utilization. Treatment completion and arrests were based on official records. Results Compared to women in MG programs, women in WO programs were more likely to be White, less educated, physically abused in the past 30 days and in residential treatment (as opposed to outpatient treatment). Women in WO programs also had greater problem severity in a number of domains including alcohol, drug, family, medical and psychiatric. They utilized more treatment services and had better drug and legal outcomes at follow-up compared to women in MG programs. Program type was not predictive of treatment retention/completion or outcomes in other domains (i.e., alcohol, employment, family, medical and psychiatric). Conclusions The greater problem severity of women treated in WO programs and their better drug and legal outcomes suggest that these specialized services are filling an important gap in addiction services.