America Ferrera & Eva Longoria Bastón have collaborated with Latina Leaders to launch She Se Puede, a digital lifestyle community built to inspire, affirm, and inform Latinas so they can leverage their power to transform their lives, their families, their community and their nation. The nonprofit initiative was founded by leaders from the worlds of organizing, politics, and entertainment ‒ Alex Martínez Kondracke, America Ferrera, Carmen Perez, Christy Haubegger, Elsa Collins, Eva Longoria Bastón, Jess Morales Rocketto, Mónica Ramírez, Olga Segura, and Stephanie Valencia.
“This election year, everyone is reminded of the Latino population numbers and how fast we are growing as a community. But let’s be clear: demography is not destiny,” said activist, actress, producer, and director America Ferrera, “Unless and until we believe in our own potential and realize our own power, we will remain underrepresented as a political and cultural force.”
“This year, there are 32 million eligible Latino voters in the U.S., yet Latina turnout rates are 14 to 20 percent lower than non-Hispanic Black or white women,” according to Stephanie Valencia, co-founder and president of Equis Labs and Equis Research. “These women are turning out in lower numbers not because of apathy, but because they don’t feel certain they have the power to change their own lives, much less the outcome of an election.”
The mission of She Se Puede is to help Latinas realize and act on their own power. To achieve that mission, She Se Puede curates content for Latinas of all kinds by sharing relatable articles, videos, and photos celebrating stories of Latina achievement big and small. She Se Puede showcases a modern Latina lifestyle that includes health, parenting, food, beauty, and civic engagement. In addition to holding virtual events, the new online platform leverages text message notifications, weekly emails, and social media posts to share relatable news and content impacting Latinas.
“She Se Puede is a state of mind,” said activist, actress, producer, and director Eva Longoria. “So when we say empowerment, we mean we want Latinas to feel empowered in everything that they do, from their careers, to their workouts, to what food they eat, and even how they can request their mail-in ballot.”
She Se Puede was created after the founders gathered at the beginning of 2020 to discuss how they could take personal responsibility for encouraging Latinas to engage civically. That conversation was in the context of knowing that the experiences and perspectives of Latinas are too often excluded from society.
“From organizing rallies in support of Dreamers to ensuring farmworkers are equipped with masks and critical supplies, Latinas are changing this country for the better,” said activist, author, and civil rights attorney, Mónica Ramírez. “There are so many heroes among us, but too often our stories aren’t being told. She Se Puede is a platform that will amplify efforts that support Latinas and empower us all to feel confident that we can make change ourselves.”
She Se Puede is a community where Latinas can find information that addresses our unique needs and supports us to move ourselves, our communities, and our country forward.
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Photo Credit: Nadejda Filin / Shutterstock.com