Low self-esteem as a factor for women in either abusive relationships or in women who abuse alcohol and/or drugs has been widely documented (11). Self-esteem programs were mentioned by many of the women as a priority in their healing and recovery from substance abuse. Many of the women echoed the statement made by one teen woman: "I wish to be more self-confident, to be more aggressive, not to be afraid of situations in my life." Another said: "I wish to have more self-esteem, to be able to handle situations better and learn to say 'no' under peer pressure." An eight-week self-esteem group is now ongoing each Thursday with a complement of eight women. This specific workshop for women will be continuing throughout the spring and summer of 1995.

Connected to women's low sense of self- esteem is the lack of knowledge they have about their place in society. Another educational need identified by the WASA project is to provide information on women's herstory. As a result, a ten-week course entitled Women in Society will eventually be offered for interested women to educate them about courageous women in the past, to inform them of the social norms that have dictated women's roles in society, and to give them a sense of pride in being women.

Though we are just finishing the first year of the three-year project, many educational and learning priorities have emerged and many more will undoubtedly materialize before the conclusion of the project in 1996. This approach to education and learning around the issue of women and substance use and abuse has given rise to a number of real and potential changes in the women's lives and, maybe, through them, to larger parts of our society.

Judith Grant, M.A., is the researcher and educator for the WASA project. The WASA project team is led by Pauline Doirion, MSW, with Pauline Cassidy as a project worker.

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