Cultivating Young Women Leaders in Northern CA

 Building The Future

As part of our young women’s leadership development program, we provide an opportunity for participants to co-lead and facilitate in community organizing on issues or topics that relate to  women’s rights and reproductive justice. Through community organizing we provide young women with the tools and experience to create change within their communities by bringing people together to build the future. These young women are shifting the culture we live in by tackling issues around sexually transmitted infections, birth control, reducing shame and stigma, all pregnancy options and addressing barriers to access to create an environment of inclusiveness and sex positivity.

Recently several young women leaders of the program united to restore and sustain abortion coverage for low-income women. Together these young women created a space within their community to build support for lifting bans that deny abortion coverage. As part of a nationwide effort in partnership with other grass roots organizations these emerging leaders are removing the stigma and having conversations about barriers that women face when seeking abortion care.

This community organizing provides an opportunity for young women from different communities to come together and invite people from their communities to get involved. Together they shared information on the HYDE Amendment that penalizes low-income women seeking an aboriton. The HYDE Amendment blocks federal funding for abortion services. The young co-leaders would facilitate a group discussion on how these restrictions on abortion care would impact people like them and their communities.

During this event the co-leaders help facilitate an activity called “Walk in My Shoes”. Walk In My Shoes is an activity that consists of 5 women’s profiles, each is pregnancy and seeking an abortion. The activity helps expose the many barriers women face when acceding abortion care. The young women engaged in leading the activity and creating a space to have real conversations about access. Each story represented a different situation. After the exercise the group talked about how to take action to support abortion funding, remove barriers, reduce stigma and empower each other to fight for reproductive justice.

Together we are Building The Future. The young women’s leadership development program reaches youth women from marginalized communities, and provides an opportunity expand their knowledge in reproductive health, women’s right, their bodies and reproductive justice.

Peer Education Works! 

In July, we held another successful Youth Peer Educator Prevention Training in Redding, California. Eight young women from various backgrounds were selected from the community to participate. Young women learned about the various forms of birth control methods, removing barriers to accessing services, STI/HIV transmission and prevention.  They engaged in activities and real conversations about sexual and reproductive health and learned how to have conversations with their peers and connect them to services. Through role play and group presentations participants had coversations that broke down the barriers most youth face with accessing services and developed an idea of healthy and positive responses. 

After reviewing our pre and post surveys as well as evaluations forms that were filled out the training was a huge success! These young women shared how much they appreciate WHS organization and opportunity to connect and have real conversations about sex. Each young woman had an opportunity to share a word that reflected how they felt after the training and those words included, excited, powerful, happy, fun, grateful, and strong. Many participants shared they would like to see more trainings like these happening in the community. 

Upon completing the Peer Prevention Training individuals were given the opportunity to continue their peer leadership and work with WHS. Five of the eight young women were selected to continue. So far these ladies have participated in on foot outreach connecting their peers to clinic services. These young women are taking on leadership roles of tabling at community events, co-presenting at community organizations and networking at local community gatherings. This program is providing an opportunity for young women to connect to their community, find their power and strength in themselves and share that with others.

We are excited to offer this unique project to young women in Northern California. These young women will be inspired to create a network of positive relationships and connections among youth peers, adults, local organizations and community groups. At the end of the project they will have gained confidence, the power they need to make alliances with women, reproductive health care information and become positive, productive forces in their communities.