MANA, A National Latina Organization

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MANA, A National Latina Organization

Mexican American woman in a traditional dress.
Founded	1974
Type	NGO
Purpose	leadership development, community service, advocacy
Website	https://www.hermana.org/about
Formerly called	Mexican American Woman's National Association

Mexican American Women's National Association, known today as MANA, A National Latina Organization,^[1] advocates for equality and empowers Latinas through leadership development. MANA was founded in 1974, making it one of the oldest active Mexican-American advocacy organizations, and as of 2000, it is considered the largest Latina organization in the United States.^[2] The organization was formed to address the intersection of Mexican-American and women's needs for equal rights. The founders created MANA with the intent of having a Latina-oriented organization.^[3][4] MANA publicizes and addresses Latina perspectives and needs through Social movements, Leadership education, and Advocacy within federal, state, and local governments. They have been involved with multiple major social movements throughout their history. These include advocating for the Equal Rights Amendment and Reproductive rights, as well as social movements on education, leadership development, women's healthcare, and racial discrimination in the work.^[2] MANA currently operates from its home base in Washington, D.C., and has local chapters across the nation.

The organization was renamed MANA, A National Latina Organization in 1994. This renaming accommodated non-Hispanic members who were previously not included in the organization's name or mission statement.^[5]