Last week the Texas-based Healthy Women, Healthy Families coalition held its first community forum in Austin on how healthcare inadequacies impact the lives of women and their families. NLIRH serves as a national advisor to the Healthy Women, Healthy Families coalition which is made up of over 20 grassroots social justice and community organizations.
From the Texas blog Burnt Orange Report:
The forum featured Texas Representative Donna Howard (HD 48), who spoke on women’s health care and how to effectively approach those who represent you in government. Katie Mahoney, the Director of Outreach and Administration at NARAL Pro-Choice Texas, described the Healthy Women, Healthy Families program and released some early results from the Central Texas portion of their survey. Both Lisa Scheps, of the Transgender Education Network of Texas, and Priscilla Hale, of allgo, addressed how shortfalls in women’s health care delivery affect the populations they serve. In addition to the speakers, more than ten local organizations that address women’s health care concerns in one form or another sent representatives who were available to distribute information and to explain how their organization works to improve health care and access to health care for women.
The coalition is currently conducting a survey to better understand the healthcare needs of Texan women and their families as part of the “Healthy Women, Healthy Families” project. Personal accounts from women about their struggles accessing health care as well as their health care needs and priorities are gathered and shared directly with policy makers and the community. This is a unique opportunity for women to be heard directly by those who make and shape public health policy and have their concerns be considered with a greater sense of urgency and significance. This project is especially important in that it targets a population that has a high number of Latinas and addresses issues of health care that are often overlooked.
Contributed by Marcela Villa, DC Policy Intern
