Marianne Winters has been an advocate in the movement to end violence against women for 22 years. Ms. Winters established Praxis for Change, a training and consultation practice, with a focus on addressing emerging issues in sexual violence in 2008. Currently the Director of Everywoman's Center at The University of Massachusetts Amherst, she has experience as a counselor, educator, trainer, administrator, and advocate at local programs and statewide coalitions. She focuses on program development, fundraising, public policy, and economic development for women, integrating an anti-oppression and empowerment philosophy. Previously, she was the Executive Director of the Rape Crisis Center of Central Massachusetts and was employed by Jane Doe Inc., The Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, where she served as the Associate Executive Director for Membership and Education and Interim Executive Director. She has developed and presented numerous trainings at the local, state, and national levels. Ms. Winters was the recipient National Sexual Violence Resource Center 2005 Award for Outstanding Advocacy and Community Work in Ending Sexual Violence and the recipient in 1997 of the Massachusetts Public Policy Award for her work in the area of protection of rape victim communications from the Massachusetts Office of Victim Assistance. She has provided national leadership in the areas of confidentiality of counselor communications, diversity, inclusion of people with disabilities, theory and philosophy of rape crisis work, intimate partner violence, substance abuse and mental health as related to trauma, pornography, and organizational and program development. 

Ms. Winters has authored and/or edited numerous training resources and materials for workers in sexual assault and domestic violence programs. She served as editor of Supporting Survivors of Sexual Assault, a training manual and curriculum for sexual assault counselors, Sexual Assault by Intimate Partners, a training module, and The Power of Prevention, a training manual for anti-violence educators. She was also the project coordinator and primary author of Taking Action Against Sexual Assault, A Call to Action for Massachusetts.