More of us

Everything we do comes from love, knowledge, and respect for our bodies, our communities, and our ancestral traditions. We support women in their sexual and reproductive processes, guide girls and adolescents as they learn to understand and care for themselves, and offer healing that honors both science and culture. This work has transformed lives throughout our more than 17 years of experience.

Vision

For women and adolescents to make conscious, free, and informed decisions about their health and care options, supported by the community environment and health services.

Our objectives

Reduce the barriers faced by different sectors of the population, especially Indigenous women and adolescents, in accessing information, prevention, and health care.

Provide sexual and reproductive health care that is dignified, accessible, safe, and culturally sensitive through the Professional Midwifery model.

Provide education and training in rights and health as tools for empowerment and strategies for change, both individually and collectively, aimed at women, adolescents, and other key social actors.

Train Professional Midwives capable of practicing autonomously in community and institutional settings, establishing collaboration and dialogue with other health professionals.

Achieve recognition and acceptance of Professional Midwifery as an appropriate model for women’s sexual and reproductive health care.

Strengthen the impact of programs and strategies through partnerships and research collaborations with government institutions, academic institutions, civil society organizations, and international agencies.

Our Team

Lisel Lifshitz

Executive Director

Holds a PhD in Public Policies with an investigation on the public repercussions of menstruation for women in Michoacan. She has a 30-year professional career in the private sector, in public administration and in civil society. She was a Board member at Mujeres Aliadas for 10 years, before becoming the Executive Director.

Ana Briseida Magaña

Community Program Director

I studied Community Management and Local Government at the Intercultural Indigenous University of Michoacán. Since I joined Mujeres Aliadas, I understood that we have a long way to go in terms of human rights; the countless times they are not respected; the endless wave of violence against women, against the LGBTI community, towards the indigenous people, and towards anyone that goes against what seems like immutable and intolerable social norms towards what is different.

Erandi Núñez

Professional Midwifery School Director

Maestra en Psicopedagogía y Docencia de nivel medio y superior por la UNICLA con la investigación de “El Tema Integrador …” y maestrante en Enseñanza de la Historia en el IIH de la UMSNH. Cuenta con 14 años como profesora frente a grupo de los 3 diferentes niveles escolares, así como en posgrado. Es originaria de Erongarícuaro, Michoacán. Mujeres Aliadas entró en su vida hace 10 años cuando atendieron su primer parto.

Guadalupe Blanco

Clinical Director

I trained as a Physician Surgeon Midwife at UMSNH and as a Perinatal Educator at Universidad Anáhuac. I have been training, working, and collaborating with traditional and autonomous midwives since 2005. I have worked in midwifery in various communities in Chiapas and Mexico City, in organizations, birth centers, and also as an independent midwife. I believe midwifery transforms women, babies, and families, but also transforms those who practice it.

Elena Pascual

Professional Midwife

She became a Professional Midwife at the Escuela de Parteras Profesionales de CASA (Professional Midwife School of CASA) in San Miguel Allende. She is native to the municipality of Las Margaritas, Chiapas. She is bilingual, a speaker of the indigenous language Chu'j. Specialist in the care of women of reproductive age, in prenatal care, birth and postpartum care. She also provides birth preparation classes to women and families.

Samantha Martínez

Professional Midwife

I am a Professional Midwife graduated from the Mujeres Aliadas School, committed to women’s processes, accompanying adolescence, reproductive age, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and menopause, as well as gynecological processes with respect for women. My calling to midwifery was so that all women could experience a loving, warm pregnancy and birth while respecting their rights and without violence.

Margarita Ascencio

Community Program Coordinator

She is a born community leader and native to the indigenous community of Puacuaro Michoacan. Her mother language is Purepecha and she speaks Spanish fluently. She has worked for over ten years as an activist inside the communities of the region. She has worked in the indigenous communities of the region as a community promoter and through the organizing and programing of sexual health and reproductive presentations.

Elizabeth Medina

School's Administration

Graduated in Accounting from the UMSNH, has worked professionally in private Administration, in joint projects with the Federal and State Governments, managing subsidies for primary agricultures in Michoacan’s countryside. She’s also worked as an Accounting and Tax Advisor for Individuals and Corporations. She loves Mujeres Aliadas’ Project and admires the work and dedication of each of its members. She is very proud of being part of the team.

Sharhéni Maciel

Directora de comunicación

Intercultural communicator graduated from the Indigenous Intercultural University of Michoacán (UIIM). She is from the indigenous community of Cherán, Michoacán. She is a menstrual activist, a women, girls and adolescents activist and a sexual and reproductive rights promoter. She is convinced of the importance of community work for the well-being of indigenous peoples through conversations, workshops and meetings with an intercultural approach.

Anabel Rosas

Teacher

Daughter of indigenous parents from the community of Huecorio. She studied the career of General Nursing in 1990 and has work experience of 22 years. She is part of our first generation of the School of Professional Midwifery, in addition to being a collaborator at Mujeres Aliadas since 2021.

Esmeralda García

General Management Assistant

I am from the state of Morelos. I trained in professional midwifery at Mujeres Aliadas (class of 2018–2021). I am the mother of two girls who were born at home with midwives in Erongarícuaro. I currently work as a workshop facilitator in the Community Program and as Assistant to the General Management at Mujeres Aliadas.Actualmente soy tallerista en el Programa Comunitario y asistente de Dirección General en Mujeres Aliadas.

María Herlinda Basilio

Professional Midwife

I am from a town called San Andrés Tziróndaro, Michoacán. I trained as a professional midwife at the Mujeres Aliadas Technical Midwifery School from 2019 to 2021. I am the mother of a boy and work in the community program as a community midwife. Together with the team, we carry out health campaigns in different communities.

Richard Ferguson

Co-Founder of Mujeres Aliadas, Board Member since 2010. Richard has a Masters Degree in Public Health, with over 30 years experience at the local, state, national and international levels. He´s been Director of Strategic Planning for Health Services in Cook County, Illinois; Chief, Health Research and Surveillance, Illinois Department of Public Health; and has worked as a successful independent contractor for 15 years in epidemiology, health care analytics, and systems analysis.