The California Alliance for Women’s Health Leadership was initiated in 1998 to enhance and expand upon the scope and depth of women’s and girls’ leadership in order to create more effective programs addressing women’s health. Four partner organizations have worked in concert toward the Alliance’s goals: The Los Angeles Women’s Foundation, The Women’s Foundation of San Francisco, the Women’s Health Leadership Program and the Women’s Health Collaborative. In order to determine issues and programs in women’s health in need of funding and policy change, the Alliance has surveyed over 250 WHL graduates and Alliance grantees annually. The grantees and leadership alumni are largely women of color, all working in underserved low income communities throughout the state. A women’s health policy tracking system has monitored state legislation over the life of the program. The findings from the final year of the program will be presented. Survey findings found that women leaders identified four major issues as having the greatest impact on women’s health: domestic violence, access to health insurance, access to preventive health services and issues related to poverty. The policy tracking system revealed a significant gap between the policy priorities and program strategies articulated by the grassroots women’s health leaders and those being addressed in the state legislature. The findings and lessons learned from the Alliance and recommendations for building a stronger bridge between program and policy, that will be more responsive to the needs of women, will be presented.
Learning Objectives: 1.The audience will learn about an alliance between women's health funders and women's health leaders to support innovative community programs and development of a women's health policy agenda. 2.The audience will learn about the program priorities and approaches used by grassroots women's health leaders to increase access to health care and promote preventive health practices. 3. The audience will learn about the technical assistance and support provided to enable grassroots women's health leaders to access funding for their programs. 4. The audience will learn about a women's health policy tracking system and the policy climate in the California legislature for a women's health legislation.
Keywords: Community Health Programs, Women's Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: California Alliance for Women's Health Leadership
Women's Health Leadership Program
Women's Health Collaborative
The Los Angeles Women's Foundation
The Women's Foundation (San Francisco)
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.