March 20, 2023

On January 9 of this year, there has been a new bill proposed to protect women’s reproductive health rights. This bill was proposed by a Texas Senator!

The SHIELD Act covers not only reproductive rights for women, but it also covers protections for medical physicians, mental health professionals, law enforcement, lawyers, nurses, practitioners, and judges.

As of right now, this bill has just been introduced and has not moved forward for committee review. Read more about this bill here: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-118hr62ih/pdf/BILLS-118hr62ih.pdf

January 23, 2023

Minors in Texas, specifically teenage girls, almost always need permission from their parent/guardian to access any form of birth control. Title X clinics, which are federally funded clinics, offer birth control and other forms of contraception to Texas teens. Recently, there has been some concern about Title X clinics in Texas.

A court ruling could prevent teens in Texas from receiving access to birth control. For more information regarding the possible court ruling, please read: https://www.texastribune.org/2022/12/21/texas-title-x-teens-birth-control/

There will be more updates about this!

 

January 5, 2023

Texas has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the country. In 2020, Texas exceeded the national teen pregnancy rate. This is largely due to lack of sex education taught in schools and in the household. In some regions of the state, there have been major attempts to incorporate proper sex/health education into public schools. Although, rural Texas cities are still on the journey to broaden sex education.

For more information regarding sex education and what’s it’s like for rural Texans, please read: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/01/04/east-texas-teen-pregnancy-sex-education/

 

 

December 16, 2022

One in 3 women has faced sexual harassment in the workplace during her career, and an estimated 87 – 94% of those who experience sexual harassment never file a formal complaint.

The Speak Out Act is a bill that has been signed into law as of December 7, 2022. This new law will prohibit contractors, employers, and individuals, from giving sexual assault survivors nondisclosure agreements regarding sexual assault and sexual harassment. This new law gives a voice to survivors and allows them to speak out about their experiences safely!

Read more about this law here: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-117s4524enr/pdf/BILLS-117s4524enr.pdf

December 8, 2022

Are you familiar with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and what they do? The FCC regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable in all 50 states.

Did you know that communication also includes data on health disparities? Maternal health is not covered enough in legislation. This bill, Data Mapping to Save Moms’ Lives, will require the Federal Communications Commission to incorporate data on maternal health outcomes. This bill has passed the House and is up for review in the Senate!

To read more about the specifics of this bill, please read: https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20221205/BILLS-117s198-SUS.pdf

 

December 2, 2022

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is given permission under this bill to enter into agreements in order to eliminate social, cultural, health, and other obstacles that adolescent females encounter when trying to enroll in a quality secondary school.

This bill has not been passed in the House or Senate yet! However, it is moving forward to being reviewed. This bill has been in progress since June 2021!

To read the specifics of this bill, please read: https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20221128/BILLS-117hr4134-SUS.pdf

November 11, 2022

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on November 1st, its commitment to strengthening relationships and collaboration with Tribal governments across the nation. The USDA also released an official policy statement to explain, in detail, how this commitment will be put into action!

Read more about the policy here: https://www.rd.usda.gov/sites/default/files/508_RD_TribalRelationsPolicyStatement.pdf

 

October 31, 2022

Did you know that sex trafficking is the highest percentage out of all human trafficking categories? In 2021, 92% of females are involved in 93% of sex trafficking in Texas.

As of October 17, 2022, a new law has been implemented to stop human trafficking on a federal level. This law, End Human Trafficking in Government Contracts Act of 2022, aims to protect people from being trafficked with government contracts.

Read more about this law here: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-117s3470enr/pdf/BILLS-117s3470enr.pdf

 

October 24, 2022

What is the ‘pink tax’?

The pink tax is an additional tax placed on feminine hygiene products sold everywhere. These items include tampons, pads, liners, and menstrual cups. As of October 12, 2022, CVS Pharmacy is dropping prices on feminine hygiene products by 25% in order to take a stand against the pink tax!

Read more about this here:

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/health/article/CVS-covering-tampon-tax-in-Texas-reducing-cost-17507368.php

https://www.today.com/health/womens-health/cvs-drops-price-tampons-taking-stance-pink-tax-rcna51975

October 17, 2022

San Antonio officials say that more than $26 million in funds will be allocated to promoting mental health care. These funds will help organizations recover from the recent pandemic and job losses. The money is distributed from federal COVID-19 Relief Funds and will be spent over the course of two years.

Read more about this here: https://sanantonioreport.org/san-antonio-2023-budget-federal-pandemic-relief-funds/

 

Girls Inc. Launches First-Ever National Alumnae Association

Houston, Texas – Oct. 14, 2022 – Girls Inc., the preeminent girls’ leadership organization providing direct services and advocacy with and for girls, has launched its first-ever National Alumnae Association. Designed specifically for individuals across the US and Canada who participated in its programming, the Association is a continuation of the Girls Inc. Experience, providing alums ages 18 and over with specialized resources such as professional development, networking, and learning opportunities to support them throughout all stages of their lives.

“Our girls need us the most as they transition from adolescence to adulthood and entering the ‘real’ world,” said Girls Inc. of Greater Houston CEO, Treopia Cannon. “As the girls have matured, we have given them the tools to get into college and to start their careers, but now what? Is our job over? The Girls Inc. Alumnae Association is the answer to ‘now what?’ and I am so excited!”

Alums can join through the web or download the free Girls Inc. Alumnae Association mobile app on Google Play and Apple stores. The community features online courses, webinars, event listings, live streaming of events, and career resources. Members, including those who attended Girls Club of America prior to 1990, are encouraged to download and sign-up for the app and register to join the online community.

About Girls Inc. of Greater Houston

Girls Inc. of Greater Houston’s mission is “To inspire ALL Girls to be Strong, Smart, and Bold!” We strive to effectively meet the needs of girls in their communities; develop girls’ capacity to be self-sufficient and responsible members of the community, to help girls overcome the effects of discrimination, and to serve as a vigorous advocate for girls, focusing attention on the specific needs of each person.

Girls Inc. of Greater Houston provides programming on an outreach basis. We go to the girls via in-school, after-school programs, spring break, and summer learning programs. Our academic enrichment programs focus on reading literacy, economic literacy, science, math, and helps the girls we serve develop skills in STE²M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Entrepreneurship, and Math) based subjects.

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October 10, 2022

It’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day!! 

  • This day is to reflect and honor Native American traditions, strengthen the community, and celebrate tribal roots in the United States
  • This day was officially changed from Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day in TEXAS in October of 2021!
  • An interesting fact: Women warriors were common in the Native American tribes!
  • How can we observe and/or spread awareness?
    • Read indigenous peoples’ literature
    • Go to an event!
    • Ask questions, and research!

October 3, 2022

This bill, “Equality Act of 2022,” prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity in public areas such as institutions, restrooms, federal institutions, credit companies, and real-estate firms. This bill allows for the Department of Justice to intervene on a federal level if a person is discriminated against.  

Read more about this bill here: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-117hr5pcs/pdf/BILLS-117hr5pcs.pdf

 

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Girls Inc. Summer Campers Preview The Houston Symphony’s Upcoming Mendelssohn’s ‘Scottish’ Concert
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Celebrate Girl Power with Us at Houstonia’s Inaugural Woman Up! Event
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Girls Inc. honors Johnson Space Center head at recent breakfast
Chron, May 2, 2018