The California Alliance for Women’s Health Leadership works 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 work 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. The Women’s Health Leadership Program provides a year-long training program in women’s health that builds leadership skills in the areas of program development, management, communications and policy. The Womens’ Foundations provide grant support to the women’s health leaders for their community work. The Women’s Health Collaborative provides technical assistance and convenes the partnership. In order to determine issues and programs in women’s health in need of funding and policy change, the Alliance is surveying 150 graduates of the Women’s Health Leadership program annually. The findings from 2 years of surveys will be presented. First year findings, found that women 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. They have many innovative program ideas, specifically tailored program strategies, and policy changes that address the needs of the populations they serve. The experience of these women, suggest that the development of women leaders is a key element in helping more community women gain access to sensitive and competent health care.
Learning Objectives: 1. To identify the major priorities in women's health among grassroots women's health leaders. 2. To learn about innovative and specialized strategies used by women's health leaders to meet the needs of their communities. 3. To discuss the importance of women's health leadership in advancing the health needs of underserved women
Keywords: Women's Health, Leadership
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.