Mary J Blige is giving support to women in her Yonkers hometown through the opening of her 'Mary J Blige Center for Women.' Partnering with Steve Stoute, the center is working to encourage women by supporting educational programs, career development, self-esteem and personal growth. Mary spoke on the center during a press conference, tearfully saying, "When I was 5-years-old there was a lot that happened to me that I carried all my life," continuing, "When I was growing up after that I saw so many women almost beaten to their death by men. I heard them screaming next door in my apartment building where I lived. I would walk outside and I would see them being slapped so hard, it looked like their head was gonna come off….and it wasn’t just in poverty that I seen this abuse, it was everywhere." The R&B singer spoke about spreading the program out to other areas, saying, "It starts here. I can’t start in Africa because we need help here. Then I will stay in New York, maybe do something in Brooklyn, maybe Philly. But then we will start going to Canada, Paris. Women are suffering in Paris really bad. Women are suffering in Italy and Australia…Women are suffering all over the world. It would be so unfair to me have come from here and seen every thing that I seen in Yonkers to not open it here."