Why Have a Health Leadership Summit Just for Young Women?
Research has revealed a great deal about the realities that teen girls face, the risks they take, and the impact their behavior has on their health and well-being. These behaviors are often a normal part of adolescence, but they can also lead to negative and potentially very serious health consequences. A growing body of research indicates adolescents are less likely to engage in high-risk behaviors if they:
- have a sense of physical, emotional, and economic security
- feel connected with adults and peers
- make a contribution in the community and have input into decision-making
- believe that others have high expectations of them
- participate in engaging and challenging activities that build skills and competencies
- feel a sense of belonging and that they have a safety structure
The Young Women's Health Leadership Summit aims to meet these goals by creating a positive youth development opportunity for young women.
The UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women's Health has put together a comprehensive fact sheet on the health status of young women.
* For complete details on San Francisco girls, read the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women's Snapshot Report.
Explore our photo gallery of young women participating in the School Health Programs of the San Francisco Unified School District . Go to http://www.healthiersf.org/ for more information.
Girls in San Francisco
Excerpts from San Francisco Girls: A Snapshot Report, March 2009
San Francisco Commission and Department on the Status of Women
- San Francisco girls are diverse—34% Asian, 26% White, 23% Latina, 9% African American, 8% multi-racial, 1% Pacific Islander
- Approximately 7% of all girls in San Francisco live in poverty
- San Francisco girls are making progress in education by closing (and reversing) historic gender gaps in science and math.
- In both San Francisco and the state of California, the enrollment rate of girls exceeded the enrollment rate of boys for most advanced courses in math and science.
- San Francisco girls are still facing higher levels of violence and threats to safety, compared to boys.
- Almost 1/3 of high school girls report being depressed and 14% have attempted suicide
- Girls in San Francisco are getting arrested in higher numbers and for more serious crimes than girls in other parts of the state.
