Long Beach City Council
July 18, 2023

J
uly 18, 2023
HO

NORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
City of Long Beach
California
RE
COMMENDATION:

Re
ceive and file a report on the Long Beach Women and Girls’ Community Survey Findings. (Citywide)

DISCUSSION
O
n September 7, 2021, the City Council directed the City Manager to create a plan for a Commission on Women and Girls (Commission), as recommended by the Equity and Human Relations Commission. The City Manager released a memorandum outlining the process and fiscal impact of creating a local Commission on January 10, 2022. On March 7, 2023, the Office of Equity presented updates on those efforts, which included partnering with an Ad Hoc Community Advisory Team (Advisory Team) to develop a community engagement plan, apply for grant funding to support the creation of the Commission, hir e a Program Specialist to facilitate the community engagement efforts, create the Women and Girls’ Community Survey (Survey) to identify the Commission's priorities, and an overview of the Survey ’s preliminary findings. In alignment with previous reports, all references to 'women and girls' includes those who identify as female: cis and trans, and those who identify as gender-expansive: non-binary, non-conforming, and genderqueer.

S
urvey Development and Outreach
T
he Office of Equity and Advisory Team used the Equity Toolkit to design a comprehensive data collection tool to inform the m ission and priorities of the Commission. Using quantitative and qualitative questions, the Survey treats the respondent as a subject -matter expert on the needs and aspirations of Long Beach women and girls to identify policies, programs, and resources that align with six overarching quality of life indicators:
• Intersectionality - the way our social identities overlap based on gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, class, etc. • Economic Stability - having the resources necessary for a healthy life, such as affordable housing, living wages, worker protections, healthcare, and reliable transportation.
• Health - the complete state of physical, mental, and social well-being.

Office of the City Manager
411 West Ocean Boulevard, 10th Floor Long Beach, CA 90802 (562) 570-6711
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July 18, 2023

• Family - Intimate and domestic connecti ons like marriage, living together, and other economic and social responsibilities.
• Connectedness - Social and resource connection, such as community, social networks, and access to support, feeling seen, heard, and valued. • Safety - Efforts to reduce violence against women, including emotional, environmental, physical, sexual, mental, or other harm.

Each section provided participants with the opportunity to disagree, somewhat disagree, somewhat agree, and agree with statements that represented each quality of life indicator.

Additionally, open- ended questions were posed, allowing participants to provide written responses on each quality of life category, suggesting priority areas for Long Beach women and girls.

On November 23, 2022, the City of Long Beach (City) published the Survey and incentive platform inviting women and girls to participate. The Survey was available online using the Qualtrics survey platform and in-person in English, Spanish, Khmer, and Tagalog at open Long Beach Public Libraries and King, Chavez, and Houghton Park s. The Survey deadline was extended to January 30, 2023, to accommodate the holiday season.

Throughout this period, the Advisory Team and other community partners facilitated additional community engagement by disseminating the Survey to their respective networks. Office of Equity staff shared the Survey with other City Departments , using email, social media, and electronic newsletters to notify the public. Additionally , Office of Equity staff canvassed Long Beach neighborhoods, tabled at various public events, corresponded with, and presented to multiple women-led and serving organizational partners to recruit participants. Some of these interactions were with: the American Association of University Women (AAUW), Bienestar Long Beach, California State University Long Beach, The Center Long Beach, Centro CHA , CSULB Latino Community Health, Earthlodge, Empowering Pacific Islander Comm unities (EPIC), Immigrant Defenders Law Center, Khmer Girls in Action, Long Beach Branch of NAACP, Long Beach Forward, Long Beach Grey Panthers, Long Beach Immigrant Rights Coalition, Long Beach Suffrage 100, Long Beach Youth Services Network, Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade and Celebration, More Mothers, National Council of Jewish Women Greater Long Beach and West Orange County, Puente Latino Association, St. Mary’s Medical Center, Youth Advisory Council, and the YMCA of Greater Long Beach.

Data Analysis

Following the close of the Survey, Dr. Amber Johnson and a research team from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) analyzed the responses, providing a quantitative and qualitative review, which includes demographic indicators, participants’ agr eement with the quality of life statements stratified by race/ethnicity and by zip code, and major themes (or priorities) identified by the participants.

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July 18, 2023

Online survey recruitment efforts resulted in 1,917 total survey responses, which included bot submissions, uncompleted surveys, and surveys submitted beyond the geographical area of Long Beach (e.g., Seattle, Washington, London, England). The survey platform provided the latitude and longitudinal coordinates of survey participants to determine the geographical area of survey participants, which the Research Team used to exclude responses from outside Long Beach. Incomplete survey responses were also excluded from the final analysis, as the final report evaluates 743 valid online survey submissions including 42 paper surveys.

Demographics

Participants could select all categories representing their demographic identities: race/ethnicity, languages spoken, identified disability, gender expression, and sexual orientation. This data was analyzed to describe the percentage of all races/ethnicities, languages spoken, and identified disabilities among survey participants. However, the analysis does not indicate multiple response patterns (e.g., specific multi -racial identities or multiple languages spok en) for each participant.

• Most participants indicated their gender expression as female (89.5%) compared to male (4.0%), non-binary or gender expansive (1.4%), transgender (2.4% ), or two-spirit (0.4%).
• Participant’s sexual orientation varied with most participants identifying as straight (77.3%). Participants also identified as asexual (0.5%), bisexual (6.6%), gay (1.4%), lesbian (4.3%), pansexual (2.0%), and queer (2.3%).
• Survey participants represented all zip codes in Long Beach. The largest percentage of participants resided in zip codes 90803 (13.4%), 90815 (11.3%), 90802 (10.3%), and 90807 (9.9%)
• Respondents’ ages ranged from 12- 75 years or older. T he largest percentage of participants were between the ages of 25- 34 years (18.5%), 35-44 years (23.2%), and 45-54 years (17.7%). Additionally, 12.6% were 55- 64 years old, 13.9% of participants were 65-74 years old, and 6.5% were 75 years or older.
• Most participants spoke English (87.7%), whereas Khmer, Spanish, and Tagalog speakers accounted for 2.0%, 9.3%, and 0.5%, respectively. • Racial/ethnic identities of survey participants were Asian/Pacific Islander (11.1%), Black/African American (11.9%), Hispanic/Latinx (28.9%), and White (38.1%) though

2.1% of participants identified as Middle Eastern, Southwest Asian, or North African and

2.7% identified as Native American, Alaskan Native, or Indigenous. • 159 participants indicated living with a disability . Most indicated that they lived with a physical (31.4%) or mental disability (23.9%). Others expressed living with a cognitive (1.3%), hearing (6.9%), or visual (7.5%) disability.

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July 18, 2023

Quality of Life Indicators

Quality of Life Indicators consisted of statements which participants had the opportunity to disagree (1), somewhat disagree (2), somewhat agree (3), and agree (4) with. Responses were averaged to determine how much participants agreed with each statement and were reported as mean scores (M) ranging from 1-4. A mean of 1 represents more participant disagreement with each state ment, and a mean of 4 represents more participant agreement. Furthermore, the Research Team stratified responses by zip codes and race/ethnicity to further understand how participants’ agreement may vary by place and race/ethnicity.

• Intersectionality: The highest agreement among participants was related to participants’ belief that women and girls encounter discrimination based on their sexual orientation/gender (M=3.35). Participants indicated more disagreement with statements related to the availability of services and programs available to older women (M=2.38) and women and girls with disabilities access to Long Beach services and amenities (M=

2.46).
• Economic Stability: The highest agreement related to economic stability was participants’ belief that women must leave their careers or have trouble finding a job to care for their families (M=3.43). Participants generally disagreed that women could find employment with adequate health insurance (M=2.04), women and girls have access to affordable healthy foods (M=2.03), women feel comfortable advocating for equity job pay (M=1.90), and single women and head of households have access to quality affordable housing (M=1.78).
• Health: The highest agreement was participants’ perception that women and girls have access to preventative healthcare (M=2.62) followed by perceptions that women and girls felt safe discussing reproductive health with medical providers (M=2.44).

Participants reported more disagreement with statements related to access to safe and affirming health care for transgender women (M=2.12), women’s and girls’ access to mental/emotional health support (M=2.08), and perceptions that women and girls are empowered to advocate for their health (M=2.15).
• Family: The highest agreement to statements on family was participants’ belief that COVID-19 heightened stress for women and girls (M=3.69) followed by their belief that women often prioritize the needs of their family before their own (M=3.60). Participants reported lower agreement with the belief that women and girls are supported by their partners, family, and friends (M=2.77). Participants had the lowest agreement with the perception that quality childcare is accessible in Long Beach (M=1.95). • Connectedness: The highest agreement was participants’ perception that Long Beach has many safe, competitive sports and recreational activities available for women and girls (M=2.71), followed by Long Beach women and girls are empowered to lead and advocate for the issues affecting their community (M=2.58). The lowest agreement was to the statement that women and girls have someone to talk to and/or confide in about the issues most important to them (M=2.43).

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July 18, 2023

• Safety: Participants reported the lowest agreement that women and girls feel safe moving around their neighborhood after dark (M= 1.54) and the highest agreement to the perception that women and girls’ mental health relies on feeling safe (M=3.64).

Priorities

Participants were encouraged to respond to open- ended questions pertaining to all quality of life indicators, identifying resources and programs, and topics they would like to prioritize. The Research Team reviewed and coded the qualitative information to identify six primary themes.

• Economic Support : A total of 184 responses in the Topic Priority open-ended questions about economic support, representing 20.5% of responses , focusing job opportunities, pay equity, job training, and skills for women and girls in Long Beach.

Sub-themes include pay equity, career support, childcare support, and housing support. • Safety: A total of 185 responses in the Topic Priority open- ended questions pertained to safety, which represented 19% of responses , focusing on creating a community where women feel safe.

Sub-themes include domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault, self -defense, and ensuring safe communities
• Health Access and Equity: A total of 183 responses in the Topic Priority open-ended questions pertained to health access and equity, which repre sented 18.5% of responses, focusing on increased access to healthcare, health resources and services.

Sub-themes include mental health support, reproductive care, specialized clinics, free and/or affordable healthcare, more diverse and inclusive medical professionals, and better access to current options.
• Support Under-Resourced Communities: A total of 42 responses in the Topic Priority open-ended questions pertained to supporting under -resourced communities of girls and women, which represented 8.5% of responses, focusing on supporting women and girls from traditionally under -resourced communities, including genderqueer, l anguage diverse, people of color, undocumented, and/or younger women and girls in Long Beach.

Sub-themes include gender equity, language equity, race-related concerns, support for undocumented individuals, and support for youth.
• Support and Develop Programming: A total of 37 responses in the Topic Priority open-ended questions pertained to programming for women and girls, which represented 7.5% of responses , focusing on supporting existing programs and developing additional programs geared toward women and girls in Long Beach. • Educational Support: A total of 52 responses, which account for approximately 6% of the total responses for the Topic Priority open-ended questions, focused on supporting educational pursuits for girls and women in Long Beach.

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Sub-themes include mental health education, sex education STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education, financial literacy, and career education.

Priorities and Recommendations

The Community Survey sought to identify priorities that guide the forthcoming Long Beach Commission for Women and Girls. Upon completing the data analysis, the Research Team proposed four recommendations that considered survey participants' quantitative and qualitative feedback on women's and girls' economic equity, safety, health, and education.

These recommendations intend to guide the forthcoming Commission in its efforts to eliminate gender-based inequities in Long Beach through intentional advocacy, outreach, programming, and policy -based intervention, outlining policy and progr am solutions to support each recommendation.

Recommendation 1: Employ multi-level strategies that facilitate individual, community, and structural changes that promote economic equity for women and girls in Long Beach.

Recommendation 2: Develop Comprehensive gender-responsive policies and practices that promote the safety of women and girls in both public and private spaces in Long Beach.

Recommendation 3: Promote equitable access to inclusive healthcare services, health education, and support to improve the quality of life for women and girls in Long Beach.

Recommendation 4: Expand and create opportunities to promote gender equity in education for women and girls in Long Beach.

Upon completion of the Survey analysis, the Office of Equity and Advisory Team created recommendations for the Commission for Women and Girls' purpose, duties, and membership.

Purpose: The Commission for Women and Girls serves as an advisory body to the City Council on establishing and maintaining equal rights, equity, social justice, representation, and opportunities for all regarding gender, specifically serving women and girls who live or work in Long Beach. This includes all w ho live as female- identified: cis and trans, and those who identify as gender-expansive, non-binary, non-conforming, and genderqueer.

Duties:
• To gather, assess and evaluate the needs and concerns of women and girls in Long Beach within the broader context of gender equity;
• To inform and advise the City Council on issues and inequities affecting women and girls in Long Beach:
o Creating meaningful changes in the conditions, policies, and programs that lift women and girls, ensuring gender equality;

HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
July 18, 2023

o Recommending policies, programs, and practices that promote and ensure equal rights and opportunities for all genders;
o Protecting and promoting visibility for women who are mothers, caregivers, and older adults.
o Identifying matters of discrimination, prejudice, health, and safety of all women and girls;
o Encouraging the participation, visibility, and leadership of all women and girls. • To advocate for policy change using an intersectional feminist lens, ensuring that women's overlapping identities — including but not limited to race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, disability, class, religion, and marital status — are considered in decision-making related to City policies, programs, and resource allocation; • To consult and coordinate with other public agencies, commissions, and organizations serving women and girls on matters relevant to the Commission; • To conduct studies and surveys on the status of women and girls related to gender equity, as requested by the Mayor and City Council, and advise thereafter; • To submit an annual report of Commission activities and recommendations to the Mayor and City Council.

Membership:

The Commission for Women and Girls shall consist of eleven (11) commissioners, as defined above, who demonstrate a commitment to advocating and advancing the well -being of Long Beach women and girls. It is the intent that the Commissioners appointed shall be from a diverse cross-section of Long Beach including women of all racial backgrounds, ethnicities, sexual orientation, age, disability, class, religion, and partner status.

There shall be one (1) commission member appointed to represent each of the nine (9) City Council districts and two (2) at large members. These commission members will be nominated by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council.

This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Anita Lakhani on June 30, 2023, and by Revenue Management Officer Geraldine Alejo on June 29, 2023.

TIMING CONSIDERATIONS

City Council action is requested on July 18, 2023.

FISCAL IMPACT

There is no fiscal or local job impact associated with this recommendation. The Community Survey findings identifies priorities which will guide the creation of the Long Beach Commission

HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
July 18, 2023

for Women and Girls. The total cost to develop and conduct the survey, including community engagement efforts, is $50,000 and is supported by the General Fund Group and state grant funding. One-time and structural funding to support the Commission was approved as part of the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY 22) and FY 23 budget processes , which include $30,112 for staff support. After a reassessment of the staffing needs to support this new commission, it is clear that additional ongoing support will be needed. Commissions require dedicated staffing to both prepare and facilitate the meetings, as well as conduct research and support Commission requests for information and production of materials related to the agenda.

If the City Council moves ahead with this item as recommended, the City Manager will be seeking an additional $55,295 in structural funding for a Clerk Typist III to provide administrative support to the Commission in the FY 24 budget and identify solutions to address this additional fiscal need.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Approve recommendation.

Respectfully submitted,

THOMAS B. MODICA

CITY MANAGER

ATTACHMENT

LONG BEACHWOMEN ANDGIRLS SURVEYREPORT AMBER JOHNSON, PHD, MPH

KELLIE WALTERS, PHD

ANDREA RODRIGUEZ
MELISSA PANTOJA, MPHMAY 2023

TABLE OF

CONTENTS
Executive Summary1
MAY 2023
Introduction11
Methodology13
Results16
Topics Prioritized By Survey Participants36
Recommendations41
Conclusion46

EXECUTIVESUMMARY
Gender-based inequities have persisteddespite decades-long efforts to achievegender equality in health, education,workplace, and safety. The disproportionateimpact on women and girls was exacerbatedby the COVID-19 pandemic and thesubsequent economic downturn.Thisunveiled deepening racial and gender-based differences in job loss, income,childcare services, and mental healthconcerns. In Long Beach, systemic inequitieshave contributed to gender-baseddisparities, as 63% of Black women head ofhouseholds are rent-burdened and Whitemen earn almost two times as much asLatina women.

In response to growing concerns about thestatus of women and girls in Long Beach,the City of Long Beach established an Ad-hoc Community Advisory Team comprisedof community members who wereinterested in shaping the development ofLong Beach’s first Commission for Womenand Girls. The Community Advisory Teamworked collaboratively with the City of LongBeach’s Office of Equity to develop amultilingual (English, Spanish, Tagalog, andKhmer) Long Beach Commission for Womenand Girls (LBCWG) Community Survey.

The following indicators were used to assessthe quality of life for women and girls livingin Long Beach: Intersectionality, Economicstability, Health, Family, Connectedness, andSafety. The survey also providedopportunities for participants to providewritten feedback on each quality of lifeindicator and identify priority areas for LongBeach women and girls.

The Long Beach Office of Equity, CommunityAdvisory Team, and community partnersimplemented a community engagementapproach to recruit Long Beach women andgirls to complete the survey in electronic(Qualtrics survey platform) and paper forms. Thisresulted in 743 valid survey responses. 1 1
The majority of survey participants spoke English (87.7%), whereas Khmer,Spanish, and Tagalog speakers accounted for 2.0%, 9.3%, and 0.5%,respectively. Of the 743 responses, 159 participants indicated living with adisability. Of these 159 participants, most indicated that they lived with aphysical (31.4%) or mental disability (23.9%). Others expressed living with acognitive (1.3%), hearing (6.9%), or visual (7.5%) disability.

LBCWG community survey participants
represented all zip codes in Long Beach. The
majority of survey participants indicated that
they were assigned female at birth (91.7%)
while 6.5% of participants were assigned
male. Most participants indicated their
gender expression as female (89.5%)
compared to male (4.0%), non-binary or
gender expansive (1.4%), transgender (2.4), or
two-spirit (.4%). Participants' sexual
orientation varied with most participants
identifying as straight (77.3%). Participants
also identified as asexual (0.5%), bisexual
(6.6%), gay (1.4%), lesbian (4.3%), pansexual
(2.0%), or queer (2.3%).

The largest percentage of participants
resided in zip codes 90803 (13.4%), 90815
(11.3%), 90802 (10.3%), and 90807 (9.9%).

Survey participants' ages ranged from 12 to
75 years or older. However, the largest
percentage of participants were between
the ages of 25- 34 years (18.5%), 35-44 years
(23.2%), and 45-54 years (17.7%). Most
participants were Asian/Pacific Islander
(11.1%), Black/African American (11.9%),
Hispanic/Latinx (28.9%), and White (38.1%).

Additionally, 2.1% of participants identified as
Middle Eastern, Southwest Asian, or North
African, and 2.7% identified as Native
American, Alaskan Native, or Indigenous.

LBCWG SURVEY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
MAY 2023

SUMMARY OF PARTICIPANTDEMOGRAPHICS
2 Quality of Life Indicators were grouped intosix overarching themes: Intersectionality,Economic Stability, Health, Family,Connectedness, and Safety. Each sectionprovided participants with the opportunityto disagree (1), somewhat disagree (2),somewhat agree (3), or agree, (4) withstatements that represented each indicatorof quality of life.

Participant responses were averaged foreach statement to determine, on average,how much participants agreed with eachstatement. These averages are reported asmean scores (M) that range from 1-4. Amean of 1 represents more participantdisagreement with each statementwhereas a mean of 4 represents moreparticipant agreement. Participants’agreement to each statement was alsostratified by zip codes and race/ethnicity tofurther understand how sentiments vary byplace and race/ethnicity. These stratifications are included in the fullreport. Participants were also given anopportunity on the survey to provide theirwritten thoughts and opinions on eachquality of life indicator in addition toexpanding on the priorities of Long Beachwomen and girls.

LBCWG SURVEY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
MAY 2023

SUMMARY OF QUALITY OFLIFE INDICATORS
"GIVE US MORE PLATFORMS TO SPEAK
AND LEAD OUR COMMUNITIES"
3 LBCWG SURVEY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
MAY 2023

INTERSECTIONALITY
To understand the unique needs and diverse experiences of women and girls in Long Beach, participants assessed their level of agreement with statements acknowledging the intersectionality of identities as it relates to race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability. Participants were asked the following questions pertaining to intersectionality:

The highest agreement among participants was related to participants’ belief that women andgirls encounter discrimination based on their sexual orientation/gender (M=3.35). Oneexample of this includes discrimination experienced in the healthcare setting, with onerespondent providing the following suggestion, This was followed by participants’ belief that women who are undocumented encounterbarriers to services (M=3.33) with one participant stating, "Providing additional paidopportunities for undocumented women and girls is very much needed. The lack of these paidfellowships/ internships makes it difficult for members from the undocumented community toreally be able to thrive in the City of Long Beach”. Participants also showed strong agreementwith the statement women and girls are disproportionately impacted by racism (M=3.29).Participants indicated more disagreement with statements related to the availability ofservices and programs available to older women (M=2.38) and women and girls withdisabilities (M=2.46). One respondent said, “Long Beach keeps building playgrounds that areinaccessible to kids with disabilities [and] older women face challenges finding employment,since age discrimination is even worse against older women than older men; and relatedly,affordable housing for older (and underpaid) women is a real challenge.” 4 Women and girls are disproportionately impacted by racism in systems.

Women and girls encounter discrimination based on their sexual orientation/gender identity.

Long Beach has many services and programs available to aging (or older) women.

Women and girls who are undocumented encounter barriers to services like social support, affirming healthcare, and language access.

Women and girls with disabilities can easily access and enjoy Long Beach services and amenities (like playgrounds, recreational equipment, and social programs).

1. 2.

3. 4.

5. “Having health facilities clearly and openly post their stance on discrimination and their procedures for reporting issues not just on websites but in their lobbies and waiting areas helps people in these groups feel safer. I've been with Kaiser for about 10 years and like that they have their position against discrimination clearly posted in their clinics. Their doctors have profiles on their website and I know to look for doctors that clearly state they like working with LGBTQ+ patients and think this kind of profile system would be great for all health providers.”

ECONOMIC STABILITY
Economic stability means that people have the resources necessary for a healthy life, such as affordable housing, living wages, worker protections, healthcare, and reliable transportation. Participants were asked the following questions related to economic stability:
"WE NEED ADVOCACY FOR PAY EQUALITY AND CLOSING THE GENDER GAP AS WELL AS POLICIES FOR REMOVING GLASS CEILINGS.”

LBCWG SURVEY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
MAY 2023
The highest agreement related to economic stability among participants was participants’belief that women must leave their careers or have trouble finding a job to care for theirfamilies (M=3.43). When asked about top priorities for women and girls, one participantsuggested the City of Long Beach provide, “support for mothers and young children. Thelack of maternity leave (even the City of Long Beach only introduced one month paid leavein 2021), and affordable childcare. Support for mothers reentering the workforce”.

Participants generally disagreed that women could find employment with adequate healthinsurance (M=2.04) with one participant saying “Healthcare shouldn't be tied to youremployment. Whether or not a woman, or any person, has adequate healthcare depends ontheir current job. That's not ok. There need to be better options for people withoutemployer-provided care".

Participants also disagreed that women and girls have access to affordable healthy foods(M=2.03) with one respondent saying, “There are still parts of Long Beach known as a fooddesert, i.e., West Long Beach, where healthy organic foods are not accessible for womenand young girls. We must prioritize seeing food as medicine and connected to our overallmind & body health." Lastly, participants disagreed that women feel comfortable advocatingfor equity job pay (M=1.90) and that single women and head of households have access toquality affordable housing (M=1.78). 5 1.

2. 3.

4. 5.

Women leave their careers or have trouble finding an adequate job so that they can care for their family.

Most women feel comfortable advocating for equitable pay at their job.

Single women and women-headed households have access to quality, affordable housing.

Women in Long Beach can generally find employment opportunities that provide adequate health insurance for them and their families.

In Long Beach, almost all women and girls have access to affordable and healthy food in their neighborhoods.

HEALTH
Questions related to health were focused on women’s and girls’ state of physical, mental,and social well-being. Participants were asked the following questions related to health:
“TRANSGENDER WOMEN NEED SAFE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, INCLUDING PROTECTION AGAINST VIOLENCE. GIRLS NEED TO FEEL SAFE THAT THEY CAN DISCUSS

THEIR REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS FINDING OUT, EVEN IF THEY ARE A MINOR.”

LBCWG SURVEY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
MAY 2023
Participants generally somewhat agreed or disagreed with statements related to health;response means for this section ranged between 2.08-2.62. This highest agreement, thoughsomewhat modest, was participants’ perception that women and girls have access topreventative healthcare (M=2.62) followed by perceptions that women and girls felt safediscussing reproductive health with medical providers (M=2.44).

One respondent said, “People are suffering. 90% of that waiting room was women of colorbecause they aren’t provided with adequate healthcare that allows them to seek preventivemedical care, they end up waiting until it becomes an emergency.” Participants alsoreported more disagreement with statements related to access to safe and affirminghealthcare for transgender women (M=2.12).

Participants also reported more disagreement with the statement that women and girls caneasily access mental/emotional health support (M=2.08) and perceptions that women andgirls are empowered to advocate for their health (M=2.15). Many of the respondentssuggested specialized facilities for women and girls such as “a clinic geared towards womenand teenage girls, access to free mental health services". 6 1.

2. 3.

4. 5.

Women and girls in my community have access to preventive healthcare, like screenings and regular check-ups.

Women and girls can easily access help for their mental/emotional health.

Women and girls feel empowered to advocate for their healthcare needs.

Transgender women in my community have access to safe and affirming healthcare.

Women and girls feel safe discussing their reproductive health with a medical provider.

FAMILY
Participants were provided the opportunity to report their agreement to statements related to intimate and domestic connections, like marriage, living together, and other economic and social responsibilities and support/resources. Participants were asked the following questions related to family:
“MORE QUALITY, PUBLIC CHILD CARE OPTIONS ACROSS THE CITY, ESPECIALLY 90810.

INCREASING ACCESS TO AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS. OFFERING INCENTIVES FOR

EXISTING CHILDCARE CENTERS TO ACCESS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SO THEY CAN INCREASE THE QUALITY OF PROGRAMMING FOR THE CHILDREN.”

LBCWG SURVEY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
MAY 2023
The highest agreement to statements related to family was participants’ belief that COVID-19 heightened stress for women and girls (M=3.69) followed by their belief that women oftenprioritize the needs of their family before their own (M=3.60). One participant stated,“Society dictates that women must prioritize everyone else before their own needs.Empowering women is essential to combat this. COVID-19 has heightened stress foreveryone; we need women and girl focused affordable healthcare more than ever.”Similarly, participants generally agreed that some women and girls endure financial,physical, and/or emotional abuse from their partners or family members (M=3.36) andargued for, “more publicized places of safety for women who are being abused, educationabout our right to live without abuse & what abuse looks like, how women can join togetherto support one another.”Participants reported lower agreement with the belief that women and girls are supportedby their partners, family, and friends (M=2.77). Participants had the lowest agreement withthe perception that quality childcare is accessible in Long Beach (M=1.95). 7 1.

2. 3.

4. 5.

Quality childcare in Long Beach is accessible.

Some women and girls endure financial, physical, and/or emotional abuse from their partners (or family members).

Women and girls are supported by their partners, family, and friends.

Women often prioritize the needs of their families before their own.

COVID-19 heightened stress for many women and girls.

CONNECTEDNESS
Connectedness speaks to the social and resource connections that are available to women and girls. This consists of community, social networks, and access to support. It also comprises the feeling of being seen, heard, and valued. Participants were asked the following questions related to connectedness:
“WE NEED SAFE PLACES TO TALK ABOUT (WOMENS' AND GIRLS') ISSUES”.

LBCWG SURVEY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
MAY 2023
Participant response means for connectedness questions ranged between 2.43-2.53suggesting that participants generally somewhat agreed or disagreed with statementsrelated to connectedness among women and girls. The highest agreement wasparticipants’ perception that Long Beach has many safe, competitive sports andrecreational activities available for women and girls (M=2.71). One participant said, “Yes,women and girls with the resources can avail themselves of services and activities. Low-income women and girls are trying to survive and sports and stress management, etc. maynot be top priorities for them.”Overall reported means were similar for beliefs that women and girls engage in activities topractice self-care, manage stress, and maintain their wellness (M=2.53), Long Beachneighborhoods have quality internet and digital services that allow women and girls toconnect with each other and to social services from home (M=2.50), and Long Beachwomen and girls are empowered to lead and advocate for the issues affecting theircommunity (M=2.58).Overall, participants suggested more opportunities for building connections by providing,“internet access/service for all; more programs and space for self-care, self-advocacy andleadership skills education/practice.” The lowest agreement was to the statement thatwomen and girls have someone to talk to and/or confide in about the issues most importantto them (M=2.43). 8 1. 2.

3. 4. 5.

Long Beach has many safe, competitive sports and recreational activities available for women and girls.

Women and girls have someone to talk to and/or confide in about the issues most important to them, like their health, their job, their hopes, dreams, and their family.

Many women and girls engage in activities to practice self-care, manage stress, and maintain their wellness. For example, exercise, gardening, meditation, etc.

Long Beach neighborhoods have quality internet and digital services that allow women and girls to connect with each other and to social services from home.

Long Beach women and girls are empowered to lead and advocate for the issues affecting their community.

SAFETY
Participants reported their level of agreement on women’s safety which involves policiesand programs, that focus on reducing violence against women. This also includesemotional, environmental, physical, sexual, mental, or any other type of harm.Participants were asked the following questions related to safety for women and girls:
“STANDARDS AND POLICIES FOR HANDLING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS NEED TO BE CONSISTENT AND ENFORCED WITHOUT BIAS OR PREJUDICE. ”

LBCWG SURVEY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
MAY 2023
Participants’ agreement to statements on safety was wide-ranging. Participants reportedthe lowest agreement to the perception that women and girls feel safe moving around theirneighborhood after dark (M=1.54) with one person stating “Long Beach isn't known to be asafe city, which means it is especially not safe for women to walk in the dark.” Participantsreported the highest agreement with the perception that women’s and girls’ mental healthrelies on feeling safe (M=3.64).Overall, participants responded similarly to the belief that schools, libraries, and workplaceshave consistent practices and standards for handling sexual assault and trauma-informedrecovery (M=2.17), women and girls in Long Beach know what to do and who to call if theyare assaulted or robbed (M=2.22) and women and girls can report incidents of assault tofemale first responders when available (M=2.45). One of the participants stated, “I didn'tknow about the ability to report assaults to female first responders or that our libraries hadstandards about handling sexual assault. I think it would be great if this was advertisedmore!!” 9 1.2.

3. 4. 5.

Women and girls’ mental health relies on feeling safe.

Women and girls in Long Beach know what to do and whom to call if they are assaulted or robbed.

Women and girls feel safe moving around their neighborhood after dark.

Women and girls can report incidents of assault to female first responders when available.

Schools, libraries, and workplaces have consistent practices and standards of how they handle sexual assault and trauma-informed recovery.

TOPICS PRIORITIZED BY SURVEY PARTICIPANTS
Participants responded to open-ended questions pertaining to all quality-of-life indicators,resources and programs, overall well-being, and topics they would like to prioritize. Overallanalysis revealed six primary themes: 1) economic support, 2) safety, 3) health access andequity, 4) support under-resourced communities, 5) support and develop programming,and 6) educational support. These are discussed in detail in the full report. The followingimage represents words that are representative of participants suggestions and feedback.The bigger and bolder the word, the more often it was mentioned by survey participants.

LBCWG SURVEY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
MAY 2023
·
"WOMEN OF COLOR, WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES, AND UNDOCUMENTED ALL FIND

THEMSELVES ON WITH LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES IF THEY DON'T ALREADY HAVE SOMEONE TO FIGHT FOR THEM. INFORMATION IS WITHHELD IN MOST CASES, IT IS

ALMOST LIKE YOU MUST COME WITH PROOF OF A DISPARITY BEFORE SOMEONE WILL

HELP WITH VITAL AND SOMETIMES CRITICAL INFORMATION IN THE FORM OF WHERE TO GO, WHEN TO GO, WHOM TO SPEAK WITH OR EVEN WHAT TO ASK FOR."

10 INTRODUCTION
Before the pandemic, the Long Beach City Council adopted aresolution supporting the Convention of the Elimination of allForms of Discrimination Against Women on March 1, 2016.This Convention sought to guide policy changes that supportthe advancement of women and reduce the disproportionaterepresentation of women in poverty and violence.

The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girlshas worked for over 50 years to eradicate inequities inCalifornia laws, practices, and conditions that impact thequality of life for women and girls in California. Twenty-fivecity and county women’s commissions across California havebeen created to support the advancement of Californiawomen on the local level. These commissions advise localgovernments, including city councils, on the intersectionalneeds of women and girls across varying ages, race/ethnicity,socioeconomic status, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

These commissions also educate and empower communitiesto advocate on behalf of women through the development ofinitiatives that address issues that adversely affect Californiawomen and girls, such as poverty, pay equity, domesticviolence, and educational opportunities. Moreover,community voiced women’s commissions can promotecommunity-engaged experiences that guide local policypriorities and initiatives.

Like other local women’s commissions, a Long BeachCommission for Women and Girls can support the eliminationof gender-based inequities in Long Beach through intentionaloutreach, engagement, advocacy, and policy-basedintervention. The Equity and Human Relations Commissionrecommended a plan to create a Long Beach Commission forWomen and Girls, brought forward to the Long Beach CityCouncil by Second District Councilwoman Cindy Allen and MAY 2023
11 1
1 co-sponsored by former Third District Councilwoman Suzie Price. City Council approved the recommendation in September 2021, providing the pathway for the City Council to allocate funding toward creating a women’s commission. Additionally, the City of Long Beach’s Office of Equity pursued grant funding awarded by the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. The added capacity and investments were instrumental in creating a community-informed survey that would guide the creation of the City’s first commission focused on the advancement and equity of all women and girls. The purpose of this survey is to provide recommendations to the Long Beach City Council to ensure the LBCWG priorities align with community input by Long Beach women and girls.

LBCWG FINAL REPORT
MAY 2023
"I AM NOT FREE WHILE ANY WOMAN IS UNFREE, EVEN WHEN HER SHACKLES ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM MY OWN."
– AUDRE LORDE
12 METHODOLOGY
The Office of Equity, with guidance from the Long Beach Equity Toolkit for City Leadersand Staff, initiated an inclusive and intersectional community engagement process in thedevelopment of the Long Beach Women and Girls Community Survey. This led to thecreation of an Ad-Hoc Community Advisory Team comprised of women, mothers,advocates, and industry leaders who expressed interest and commitment to shaping theLBCWG. The Community Advisory Team worked collaboratively with the Office of Equityto design a survey that would focus intersectionally on issues impacting the quality of lifefor women and girls in Long Beach.After several collaborative iterations, the Office of Equity in partnership with theCommunity Advisory team developed a finalized LBCWG Community Survey to assessthe quality of life for women and girls in Long Beach using the following indicators;Intersectionality, Economic Stability, Health, Family, Connectedness, and Safety. Thesurvey also prompted information to describe survey participants’ demographics.Demographic information included participants’ sex assigned at birth, gender expression,sexual orientation, residential zip code, age, race/ethnicity, language(s) spoken, anddisability status. Participants with disabilities were provided options to indicate theircategory of disability including visual, hearing, cognitive, physical, mental health, and/orother disability.Participants were also provided space to give written feedback on each quality of lifeindicator and identify priority areas for Long Beach women and girls. The survey wastranslated from English to Spanish, Tagalog, and Khmer to promote equitable access toprovide feedback. The survey was made available online using the Qualtrics surveyplatform for those with access to a computer or smartphone. The survey was alsoavailable in paper format for individuals who could not access the survey online.

MAY 2023

SURVEY DEVELOPMENT

RECRUITMENT
The Office of Equity, Community Advisory Team, and community partners implemented acommunity engagement approach to recruit Long Beach women and girls betweenNovember 2022- January 30, 2023. The Office of Equity developed promotional flyers inEnglish, Spanish, Tagalog, and Khmer with QR codes and links to the online survey.Surveys were distributed via email, social media (e.g., Twitter), the Office of Equity’s 13 electronic newsletter, community events, City Parks and Libraries. The Office of Equityintentionally partnered with individuals and community organizations that have providedsupport to populations who have been historically marginalized. Collectively, thesepartnerships provided specific recruitment of women who self-identified as Asian/PacificIslanders, Black, Latinx, and/or Indigenous, women of diverse gender expressionsincluding transwomen, and women currently living with a disability. Organizations thatassisted in the recruitment of these communities were provided funding to support theadditional labor of assisting with survey recruitment.Participation in the survey was voluntary and anonymous. However, participants whocompleted the survey received a $20 physical gift card or electronic incentive.Participants who received the gift cards or electronic incentives were required to providenames, addresses (if available), and email (for electronic incentives only). This informationwas collected separately from data collected from participants' survey responses allowingsurvey responses to remain anonymous.Of note, engaging in city-wide efforts using an online platform that incentivizedparticipation had both strengths and limitations. The incentivized participation of theonline survey increased access to the survey such that participants could complete thesurvey at a convenient time in a setting most comfortable to the participant. This alsoallowed participants to receive reasonable compensation that acknowledged theparticipants’ time in completing the survey. However, an early pilot of the protocol foundthat the initial surveys were compromised by survey bots. Survey bots are automatedprograms designed to complete a survey by mimicking a human user. Survey bots werenot authentic survey takers but benefited from an automated survey incentive protocoldesigned to quickly incentivize participants. This led to a short pause in the online surveyimplementation to protect the integrity of the survey while appropriately incentivizingparticipants for their time. The survey was then revised to provide participants with avalidation link after completing the survey, in which participants provided information toreceive their incentive later. This information was then screened to determine whether theprovided information was valid.Online survey recruitment efforts led to 1917 total survey responses. This included surveybot submissions, uncompleted surveys, and surveys submitted beyond the geographicalarea of Long Beach (e.g., Seattle, Washington, London, England). The Qualtrics surveyplatform provides the latitude and longitudinal coordinates of survey participants todetermine the geographical area of survey participants when they completed the survey.Survey responses with latitudes and longitudes indicating completion of the surveyoutside of Long Beach were excluded from the final survey analysis. Upon closerinspection, most of the survey submissions outside of the Long Beach geographical areawere shown to be survey bots. Incomplete survey responses were also excluded from thefinal survey. The final survey analysis included 743 valid survey submissions of which 42were paper survey submissions.

MAY 2023

LBCWG FINAL REPORT
14 MAY 2023

LBCWG FINAL REPORT

DATA ANALYSIS

QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
Participants had the option to select all categories that represented them on demographicindicators race/ethnicity, languages spoken, and identified disability. This data wasanalyzed to represent the percentage of all races/ethnicities, languages spoken, andidentified disabilities among survey participants. However, the analysis did not indicatemultiple response patterns (e.g., specific multi-racial identities or multiple languagesspoken) for each participant.Quality of Life Indicators were grouped into overarching themes: Intersectionality,Economic Stability, Health, Family, Connectedness, and Safety. Each section providedparticipants with the opportunity to disagree (1), somewhat disagree (2), somewhat agree(3), or agree (4) with statements that represented each Quality of Life Indicator.Participant responses were averaged for each statement to determine, on average, howmuch participants agreed with each statement. These averages are reported as meanscores (M) that ranged from 1-4, whereas a mean of 1 represents more participantdisagreement with each statement and a mean of 4 represents more participantagreement. Participants’ agreement to each statement was also stratified by zip codesand race/ethnicity to further understand how participants’ sentiments may vary by placeand race/ethnicity.

QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS
Qualitative analysis was conducted on participants’ written responses to each quality of life indicator. Participants also provided written suggestions for priority areas for Long Beach women and girls. The qualitative information was thoroughly reviewed and coded to identify emerging themes brought forth by survey participants. These themes were checked across the data evaluation team to determine whether themes were appropriately categorized to reflect the major themes within the survey. Finalized themes were considered perceived priorities among survey participants. 15 2

RESULTS
MAY 2023

PARTICIPANT DEMOGRAPHICS
The majority of survey participants indicatedthat they were assigned female at birth(91.7%) while 6.5% of participants wereassigned male.

Most participants indicated their gender
expression as female (89.5%) compared to
male (4.0%), non-binary or gender expansive
(1.4%), transgender (2.4), or two-spirit (0.4%).

Participant’s sexual orientation varied with
most participants identifying as straight
(77.3%).

TABLE 1. GENDER EXPRESSION
TABLE 2. SEX ASSIGNED AT BIRTH
Participant’s sexual orientation varied withmost participants identifying as straight(77.3%). Participants also identified as asexual(0.5%), bisexual (6.6%), gay (1.4%), lesbian(4.3%), pansexual (2.0%), and queer (2.3%).

TABLE 3. SEXUAL ORIENTATION
16 Survey participants from all zip codes are represented in the survey. However, thelargest percentage of participants resided in zip codes 90803 (13.4%), 90815 (11.3%),90802 (10.3%), and 90807 (9.9%). This was followed by participants in 90808 (8.9%),90806 (8.6%), 90805 (7.7%), 90804 (7.2%), 90814 (7.1%), 90813 (6.8%), and 90810(4.7%). The remaining zip codes accounted for less than 1% of participants.

MAY 2023

LBCWG FINAL REPORT
FIGURE 1. LONG BEACH ZIP CODES
17 TABLE 4. ZIP CODES
The majority of survey participants spoke
English (87.7%), whereas Khmer, Spanish,
and Tagalog speakers accounted for 2.0%,

9.3%, and 0.5%, respectively.

MAY 2023

LBCWG FINAL REPORT
TABLE 6. LANGUAGE
TABLE 7. RACE/ETHNICITY
Most participants were Asian/Pacific Islander (11.1%), Black/African American (11.9%),Hispanic/Latinx (28.9%), and White (38.1%) though 2.1% of participants identified asMiddle Eastern, Southwest Asian, or North African and 2.7% identified as NativeAmerican, Alaskan Native, or Indigenous.

FIGURE 3: RACIAL/ETHNIC DISTRIBUTION OF LBCWG SURVEY PARTICIPANTS 18 Survey participants' ages ranged from 12-75 years or older, though the largest percentage of participants were between the ages of 25-34 years (18.5%), 35-44 years (23.2%), and 45-54 years (17.7%). Additionally, 12.6% were 55-64 years old, 13.9% of participants were 65-74 years old, and 6.5% were 75 years or older. Participants younger than 24 years older accounted for the smallest number of participants with 18-24 year olds accounting for 3.6% and 12-17 year olds accounting for 2.7%..

TABLE 5. AGE FIGURE 2: AGE DISTRIBUTION OF LBCWG SURVEY PARTICIPANTS 159 participants indicated living with a disability. Of these 159 participants, mostindicated that they lived with a physical (31.4%) or mental disability (23.9%). Othersexpressed living with a cognitive (1.3%), hearing (6.9%), or visual (7.5%) disability.

MAY 2023

LBCWG FINAL REPORT
TABLE 8. DISABILITY
FIGURE 4: DISTRIBUTION OF STATED DISABILITIES (N)
19 MAY 2023

QUALITY OF LIFE INDICATORS
The following sections provide the results of the LBCWG community survey participants’ responses to statements related to their perceptions of intersectional experiences, economic stability, health, family, connectedness, and safety. Participants responded 1 (Strongly Disagree), 2 (Disagree), 3 (Agree), or 4 (Strongly Agree) to statements within each category. The findings below report participants’ overall mean (average) response to each statement. Findings are also reported by race/ethnicity and zip code. Higher scores indicate higher agreement with each statement whereas lower scores indicate more disagreement among participants.

TABLE 9. INTERSECTIONALITY
The highest agreement among participants was related to participants’ belief that women andgirls encounter discrimination based on their sexual orientation/gender (M=3.35). This wasfollowed by participants’ belief that women who are undocumented encounter barriers toservices (M= 3.33) and women and girls are disproportionately impacted by racism (M=3.29).Participants indicated more disagreement with statements related to the availability of servicesand programs available to older women (M=2.38) and women and girls with disabilities accessto Long Beach services and amenities (M= 2.46). 20 MAY 2023

LBCWG FINAL REPORT
TABLE 10. INTERSECTIONALITY BY RACE/ETHNICITY
When examining intersectionality by race/ethnicity, the highest agreement among participantswas related to the belief that women and girls encounter discrimination based on their sexualorientation/gender. However, individuals who identified as Middle Eastern, Southwest Asian,and/or North African on average indicated more disagreement with this statement (M=2.89).Generally, participants of all races/ethnicities believed that women who are undocumentedencounter barriers to services for participants with more disagreement being observed amongparticipants who indicated they were Black or African American (M=2.95).Overall participants of all races/ethnicities agree that women and girls are disproportionatelyimpacted by racism but generally disagreed that services and programs were available to olderwomen. Participants of all races and ethnicities also generally disagreed that women and girlswith disabilities have access to Long Beach services and amenities. The disagreement on theaforementioned two statements was more pronounced among participants identified as NativeAmerican, Alaskan Native, and/or Indigenous with means of 1.96 and 1.91, respectively. "WE NEED PARK AND CITY PROGRAMMING SPECIFICALLY OPEN TO TRANS

WOC, DISABLED, AND UNDOCUMENTED WOMEN AND GIRLS SUCH AS

WORKSHOPS, JOB FAIRS, SUPPORT GROUPS AND RECREATIONAL
ACTIVITIES HOSTED AT THE LIBRARY OR PARKS."
21 Stratifying perceptions of intersectionality by zip code revealed an agreement with statementsoften varied by zip code location. Participants generally somewhat agreed or agreed thatwomen and girls are disproportionately impacted by racism and discrimination based on thesexual orientation/gender of women. However, participants in 90831 exhibited moredisagreement with this statement (M=2.5). Participants in zip codes 90809, (M=3.6), 90822(M=3.0), and 90831 (M=3.0) had more agreement with the statement that services and programswere available to older women while participants in the remaining zip code generally disagreed.Participants in most zip codes somewhat agreed or agreed that those undocumented encounterbarriers to services. More disagreement was observed in zip codes 90822 (M=2.33) and 90833(M=2.75). Generally, participants in all zip codes disagreed with the statement that women andgirls with disabilities have access to Long Beach services and amenities.

MAY 2023

LBCWG FINAL REPORT
TABLE 11. INTERSECTIONALITY BY ZIP CODE
22 The highest agreement related to economic stability among participants was the belief thatwomen must leave their careers or have trouble finding a job to care for their families (M=3.43).Participants generally disagreed that women could find employment with adequate healthinsurance (M=2.04), women and girls have access to affordable healthy foods (M=2.03), womenfeel comfortable advocating for equity job pay (M=1.90), and single women and head ofhouseholds have access to quality affordable housing (M=1.78).

MAY 2023

LBCWG FINAL REPORT
TABLE 12. ECONOMIC STABILITY
"WHEN WOMEN DO BETTER, ECONOMIES DO BETTER."
– CHRISTINE LAGARDE
23 Examining economic stability by race/ethnicity revealed that the highest agreement related toeconomic stability among participants of all racial/ethnic groups was the belief that women mustleave their careers or have trouble finding a job to care for their families. Participants generallydisagreed that women could find employment with adequate health insurance with participants.However, participants who identified as White (M=1.93) and Native American, Alaskan Native,and/or Indigenous indicated more disagreement (M=1.48). Native American, Alaskan Native,and/or Indigenous participants indicated the most disagreement with women and girls havingaccess to affordable healthy foods (M=1.74) followed by participants who identified as White(M=1.97) and Hispanic/Latinx (M=1.99). Participants of all races/ethnicities generally disagreed orstrongly disagreed with the belief that women feel comfortable advocating for equitable job payand that single women and head of households have access to quality affordable housing.

MAY 2023

LBCWG FINAL REPORT
TABLE 13. ECONOMIC STABILITY BY RACE/ETHNICITY
"AS A SINGLE 28 YEAR OLD WOMAN WHO HAS A BACHELOR’S DEGREE AND WORKS FOR LBUSD, I CAN’T AFFORD TO MOVE OUT OF MY CHILDHOOD HOME. HOUSING IN LONG BEACH IS NO WHERE NEAR AFFORDABLE AND I GREW UP WITH PRIVILEGE. I CAN’T IMAGINE WHAT IT’S LIKE FOR OTHERS WHO WEREN’T AS FORTUNATE." 24 Perceptions of economic stability also varied by zip code. Participants across all zip codessomewhat agreed to agreed that women have to leave their careers or have trouble finding anadequate job in order to care for their families. The level of agreement with the statement, mostwomen feel comfortable advocating for equitable pay at their jobs, was mixed across zip codes.Participant response means ranged from 1.5-1.92 in most zip codes indicating moredisagreement with this statement. However, more agreement with this statement was found inzip codes 90806 (M=2.24), 90809 (M=2.6), 90810 (M=2.35), 90822 (M=3.67), and 90831 (M=3.25).This level of disagreement for participants' belief that single women and heads of householdshave access to quality affordable housing was similar for most zip codes (M= 1.7-1.87) with theexception of zip codes 90809 (M=2.24), 90822 (M=2.24), 90831 (M=2.24), 90840 (M=2.24) whereparticipants expressed more agreement. Slightly higher agreement with the belief that womencould find employment with adequate health insurance was observed among participantsacross all zip codes (M=2.01-4.0). However, a lower agreement was observed in zip codes 90802(M=1.96) and 90809 (M=1.83). Participants generally disagreed with the statements that womenand girls have access to affordable healthy foods and that women can find employmentopportunities with adequate health insurance.

MAY 2023

LBCWG FINAL REPORT
TABLE 14. ECONOMIC STABILITY BY ZIP CODE
25 Participant response means for health questions ranged between 2.08-2.62 suggesting thatparticipants generally somewhat agreed or disagreed with statements related to health. Thishighest agreement was participants’ perceptions that women and girls have access topreventative healthcare (M=2.62) followed by perceptions that women and girls felt safediscussing reproductive health with medical providers (M=2.44). Participants reported moredisagreement with statements related to access to safe and affirming healthcare fortransgender women (M=2.12), women’s and girls’ access to mental/emotional health support(M=2.08), and perceptions that women and girls are empowered to advocate for their health(M=2.15).

MAY 2023

LBCWG FINAL REPORT
TABLE 15. HEALTH
26 Participant response means for health questions accounting for race/ethnicity generally rangedbetween 2.02-3.0 suggesting that participants somewhat agreed or disagreed with statementsrelated to health. Regarding the statement, women and girls can easily access help for theirmental/emotional health, participants who identified as White (M=1.94) and Native American,Alaskan Native, and/or Indigenous (M=1.65) exhibited slightly more disagreement. Participantswho identified as Native American, Alaskan Native, and/or Indigenous also showed moredisagreement with the perceptions that women and girls are empowered to advocate for theirhealth (M=1.57) and there is access to safe and affirming healthcare for transgender women(M=1.76).

MAY 2023

LBCWG FINAL REPORT
TABLE 16. HEALTH BY RACE/ETHNICITY
"WE NEED MORE REDUCED FEE PROGRAMS FOR HEALTHCARE (INCLUDING MENTAL HEALTH CARE) THAT ARE APPROACHABLE AND ACCESSIBLE. FROM

THERE, I THINK IT COULD BE GREAT FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS THEMSELVES TO BE EMPOWERED TO ADVERTISE WHAT THEY HAVE TO OFFER.

MAYBE GRANTS TO DO OUTREACH OR CREATE BANNERS FOR REDUCED FEE SCREENINGS, AND SAFETY FOR TRANS FOLK"
27 Participant response means for health questions across all zip codes generally ranged between2.0-3.0 indicating a modest level of agreement on statements related to women’s and girls’health. However, participants in 90804 generally had the lowest level of agreement with thestatements, women and girls can easily access mental/emotional health support (M=1.85),women and girls are empowered to advocate for their health needs (M=1.89), and transgenderwomen have access to safe and affirming healthcare (M=1.89). The lowest agreement to thestatement that women and girls can easily access mental/emotional health support (M=1.50)was observed in 90804.

MAY 2023

LBCWG FINAL REPORT
TABLE 17. HEALTH BY ZIP CODE
28 The highest agreement to statements on family was participants’ belief that COVID-19heightened stress for women and girls (M=3.69) followed by their belief that women oftenprioritize the needs of their family before their own (M=3.60). Similarly, participants generallyagreed that some women and girls endure financial, physical, and/or emotional abuse from theirpartners or family members (M=3.36). Participants reported lower agreement with the belief thatwomen and girls are supported by their partners, family, and friends (M=2.77). Participants hadthe lowest agreement with the perception that quality childcare is accessible in Long Beach(M=1.95).

MAY 2023

LBCWG FINAL REPORT
TABLE 18. FAMILY
29 The highest agreement to statements on family among participants of all races/ethnicities was participants’ belief that COVID-19 heightened stress for women and girls followed by the belief that women often prioritize the needs of their family before their own. Similarly, participants of all races/ethnicities generally agreed that some women and girls endure financial, physical, and/or emotional abuse from their partners or family members. Participants across all races/ethnicities reported more disagreement with the belief that women and girls are supported by their partners, family, and friends and the perception that quality childcare is accessible in Long Beach, though participants who identified as White (M=1.81) and Native American, Alaskan Native, and/or Indigenous (M=1.74) indicated the most disagreement.

MAY 2023

LBCWG FINAL REPORT
TABLE 19. FAMILY BY RACE/ETHNICITY
"WE NEED MORE QUALITY AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE PROGRAMS THAT

ARE QUICK TO HAVE ACCESS TO AND TAKES THE TOTAL FINANCIAL AND

EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF THE FAMILY UNIT CONDITIONS AND DYNAMICS INTO CONSIDERATION."
30 Participants across zip codes demonstrated the most disagreement with the belief that qualitychildcare in Long Beach is affordable and accessible. However, more agreement was observedin 90809 (M=3.0), 90831 (M=3.50), and 90840 (M=3.0). This was followed by participants’ beliefthat women and girls are supported by their partners, family, and friends in which participants’response means ranged from 2.5-3.33. Participants’ response means (M=3.0-4.0) were highestsuggesting more agreement with the statements related to the belief that women and girlsendure financial, physical, and/or emotional abuse from their partners or family members,women often prioritize the needs of the family before their own, and COVID-19 heightenedstress for many women and girls. Participants in 90822 exhibited lower disagreement (M=2.67)to perceptions of abuse among women and girls and women often prioritize the needs of thefamily (M=2.33). Participants in 90831 exhibited lower disagreement (M=2.75) with theperception that COVID-19 heightened stress for women and girls.

MAY 2023

LBCWG FINAL REPORT
TABLE 20. FAMILY BY ZIP CODE
31 Participant response means for statements about connectedness ranged between 2.43-2.71suggesting that participants somewhat agreed or disagreed with statements related toconnectedness among women and girls. This highest agreement was participants’ perceptionthat Long Beach has many safe, competitive sports and recreational activities available forwomen and girls (M=2.71). Overall reported means were similar for beliefs that women and girlsengage in activities to practice self-care, manage stress, and maintain their wellness (M=2.53),Long Beach neighborhoods have quality internet and digital services that allow women and girlsto connect with each other and to social services from home (M=2.50), and Long Beach womenand girls are empowered to lead and advocate for the issues affecting their community (M=2.58).The lowest agreement was to the statement that women and girls have someone to talk toand/or confide in about the issues most important to them (M=2.43).

MAY 2023

LBCWG FINAL REPORT
TABLE 21. CONNECTEDNESS
“I AM AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT IS POSSIBLE

WHEN GIRLS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING

OF THEIR LIVES ARE LOVED AND
NURTURED BY PEOPLE AROUND THEM. I

WAS SURROUNDED BY EXTRAORDINARY

WOMEN IN MY LIFE WHO TAUGHT ME
ABOUT QUIET STRENGTH AND DIGNITY.”
— MICHELLE OBAMA
32 When examining connectedness by race/ethnicity, participants’ response means forconnectedness questions continued to range between 2.43-2.71 suggesting that participants,regardless of racial/ethnic identity, generally somewhat agreed or disagreed with statementsrelated to connectedness among women and girls. However, mean scores for participantswho identified as Black (M=2.78), White (M=2.83), Middle Eastern, Southwest Asian, and/orNorth African (M=2.82) and Native American, Alaskan Native and/or Indigenous (M=2.82)indicate slightly higher agreement to with belief that Long Beach has many safe, competitivesports and recreational activities available for women and girls. There was also slightly higheragreement among participants who identified as Middle Eastern, Southwest Asian, and/orNorth African (M=2.88) and Native American, Alaskan Native, and/or Indigenous (M=2.88) withthe statement Long Beach neighborhoods have quality internet and digital services that allowwomen and girls to connect with each other and to social services from home.

MAY 2023

LBCWG FINAL REPORT
TABLE 22. CONNECTEDNESS BY RACE/ETHNICITY
"FEMALE LED PROGRAMS SO THAT WOMEN AND GIRLS HAVE STRONG ROLE MODELS WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE IN THE CITY."
33 Participant response means across zip codes pertaining to statements related toconnectedness generally ranged between 2.0-3.0 suggesting most participants regardless ofzip code disagreed or somewhat agreed with these statements. Participants in zip code 90822had a higher agreement with the belief that women and girls engage in activities to practiceself-care, manage stress, and maintain their wellness (M=3.33) as well as the perception thatLong Beach has quality internet and digital services for women and girls (M=3.67). Participantsin zip code 90831 exhibited higher agreement with the perceptions that Long Beach has safecompetitive sports and recreational activities for women (M=3.5) and girls, and women andgirls have someone to talk to and/or confide in (M=3.25).

MAY 2023

LBCWG FINAL REPORT
TABLE 23. CONNECTEDNESS BY ZIP CODE
34 Participants’ agreement to statements on safety was wide-ranging. Participants reported thelowest agreement that women and girls feel safe moving around their neighborhood afterdark (M= 1.54) and the highest agreement to the perception that women and girls’ mentalhealth relies on feeling safe (M=3.64). Overall, participants responded similarly to the beliefthat schools, libraries, and workplaces have consistent practices and standards for handlingsexual assault and trauma-informed recovery (M=2.17), women and girls in Long Beach knowwhat to do and whom to call if they are assaulted or robbed (M=2.22) and can report incidentsof assault to female first responders when available (M=2.45).

MAY 2023

LBCWG FINAL REPORT
TABLE 24. SAFETY
35 MAY 2023

LBCWG FINAL REPORT
TABLE 24. SAFETY BY RACE/ETHNICITY
Participants’ agreement to statements on safety was also wide-ranging when accounting forracial/ethnic identity. Participants continued to show more disagreement with the statementthat women and girls feel safe moving around their neighborhood after dark. However,participants who identified as Black or African American indicated slightly higher agreement(M= 2.05). The highest agreement among participants of all racial/ethnic identities was theperception that women’s and girls’ mental health relies on feeling safe. Participants across allracial/ethnic identities generally indicated that they somewhat disagree or disagree with thebelief that schools, libraries, and workplaces have consistent practices and standards forhandling sexual assault and trauma-informed recovery, women and girls in Long Beach knowwhat to do and whom to call if they are assaulted or robbed, can report incidents of assault tofemale first responders when available. However, participants who identified as NativeAmerican, Alaskan Native, and/or Indigenous had the lowest agreement to statements relatedto knowing whom to call when experiencing violence (M=1.78) schools, libraries, andworkplaces having consistent standards for handling sexual assaults and trauma-informedrecovery (M=1.7). "I THINK ONE OF THE CHALLENGES MAY BE THAT WOMEN OF COLOR MAY

NOT NECESSARILY FEEL COMFORTABLE REACHING OUT TO LAW

ENFORCEMENT IF THEY EXPERIENCE AN ASSAULT OR SOMETHING LIKE

THAT BECAUSE EVEN IN LONG BEACH WE ARE NOT FREE FROM
DISCRIMINATORY BEHAVIOR WITHIN LAW ENFORCEMENT."
36 Participants across all zip codes had the highest agreement to the belief that women’s and girls’mental health relies on feeling safe (M 3.2-4.0). However, the most disagreement amongparticipants was to the statement, women and girls feel safe moving around their neighborhoodafter dark. The highest disagreement was seen among participants residing in zip codes 90804(M=1.35) and 90806 (M=1.42). The highest agreement was found in 90809 (M=3.0). Participantssomewhat disagreed or agreed with the statement women and girls in Long Beach know whatto do and whom to call if they are assaulted or robbed (M=2.0-3.0) with the lowest agreementobserved among participants in 90806 (M=1.96). Generally, participants somewhat disagreedwith schools, libraries, and workplaces having consistent standards for handling sexual assaultsand trauma-informed recovery (M=2.0-2.28) with the exceptions of participants in 90809(M=3.4), 90822 (M=3.0), 90831 (M=3.5), and 90840 (M=4.0). Participants somewhat disagreed tosomewhat agreed with the ability of women and girls to report incidents of assault to female firstresponders (M= 2.13-3.0) with the exception of participants in 90840 (M=4.0).

MAY 2023

LBCWG FINAL REPORT
TABLE 25. SAFETY BY ZIP CODE
37 TOPICS PRIORITIZED BYSURVEY PARTICIPANTS
MAY 2023
Theme 1: Economic Support
This theme focused on supporting job
opportunities, pay equity, job training, and
skills for women and girls living in Long
Beach. A total of 184 responses in the Topic
Priority open-ended questions related to
economic support, representing 20.5% of
responses. Multiple sub-themes emerged
including; 1) pay equity (e.g., “equal pay city-
wide with the city being the leader in that.”),
2) career support (e.g., “creating jobs that
pay enough for women and youth”), 3)
childcare support (e.g., “Subsided or free
childcare for low-income single women
households”), and 4) housing support (e.g.,
"access to good and affordable housing”).

Participants were encouraged to respond toopen-ended questions pertaining to allQuality of Life Indicators, resources andprograms, overall well-being, and topics theywould like to prioritize. Analysis of theseopen-ended questions resulted in sixprimary themes: 1) economic support, 2)safety, 3) health access and equity, 4)support under-resourced communities, 5)support and develop programming, and 6)educational support. Each theme, along withavailable sub-themes, is listed below withsample quotes to support them. Aquantitative evaluation depicting therepresentation of each theme is presentedusing responses from answers to the topicsprioritized question.

Theme 2: Safety This theme focused on creating a communitywhere women feel safe, which includedreducing experiences with harassment, sexualassault, and domestic violence. A total of 185responses in the Topics Priority open endedquestions pertained to safety, whichrepresented 19% of responses. Multiple sub-themes emerged including; 1) domesticviolence, 2) harassment, 3) sexual assault, 4)self-defense, and 5) ensuring safecommunities.

One participant said, “A topic that I would liketo see the Long Beach Commission forWomen and Girls prioritize would be sexualassault/harassment among women and girls”while another suggested the city provide,“funding to ensure rape kits are priority andclear any backlogs”.

Additional suggested solutions to the issue ofsafety include offering, “self-defenseworkshops for women and girls”, a “buddysystem specialized numbers to call”, and“providing safety nets and support (mental andfinancial) for women and girls that aredomestically abused”. Lastly, respondents alsorequested the City of Long Beach prioritizeneighborhood safety so that women and girlshave, “access to clean, safe green areas” and“can be anywhere in this city free of potentialrapists, assailants, and kidnappers”. 38 MAY 2023
Theme 3: Health Access and Equity This theme focused on increasing access tohealthcare and providing equity in healthaccess, health resources, and healthservices. A total of 183 responses in the TopicPriority open ended questions pertained tohealth access and equity, which represented18.5% of responses. Multiple sub-themesemerged including 1) mental health support,2) reproductive care, 3) specialized clinics, 4)free and/or affordable healthcare, 5) morediverse and inclusive medical professionals,and 6) better access to current options.

Many of these sub-themes were then usedto inform recommendations to the City ofLong Beach regarding health access andequity. In addition to these sub-themes,participants also mentioned wanting toreduce the stigma related to accessingreduced-cost healthcare (e.g., “Not having towait in long embarrassing lines or longintervals for appointments”).

LBCWG FINAL REPORT
Theme 4: Support Under-ResourcedCommunities This theme focused on supporting women andgirls from traditionally under-resourcedcommunities, including those who are genderqueer, language diverse, undocumented and/ora person of color. A total of 42 responses in theTopic Priority open-ended questions pertainedto supporting under-resourced communities ofwomen and girls, which represented 8.5% ofresponses. Multiple sub-themes emergedincluding; 1) gender equity, 2) language equity,3) race-related concerns, 4) support forundocumented individuals, and 5) support foryouth.

Gender equity was the most frequent topicwithin this theme with respondents requesting“affirming spaces for reproductive and genderjustice issues” which included; 1) “more jobs forthe transgender community”, 2) “education fortransgender people”, 3) “rights of LGBTQ+", and4) “decriminalization of sex work, whichdisproportionately impacts women, and transwomen in particular.” There were also many responses pertaining tosupport for youth living in Long Beach,particularly concerning their mental health andschool resources. Participants stated, “Mentalhealth resources for teens [are] sorely lacking inLong Beach. The ones we have are overloadedand cannot accept new patients thatdesperately need the support” and that the Cityof Long Beach should prioritize, "earlyconversations in schools about bodyawareness, removing stigma from topics suchas sexuality and birth control options."Solutions to address other under-resourcedcommunities include, “require language accessand hiring for immigrant & BIPOC women andtrans folks”, “undocumented women’sresources”, and policies that address “racialdisparities in women's health”. 39 MAY 2023
Theme 5: Support and DevelopProgrammingThis theme focused on further supportingexisting programs and developing additionalprograms geared toward women and girls inLong Beach. A total of 37 responses in theTopic Priority open-ended questionspertained to programming for women andgirls, which represented 7.5% of theresponses. Participants vocalized wantingmore opportunities to develop leadershipskills and empower women and girls living inLong Beach. Suggested priorities rangedfrom “intergenerational leadership andresource sharing of skills and mentoring” toincluding more, “female mentors for girls” tooffering more “girl empowerment andleadership opportunities.”One participant said, “I'm not sure what isalready being researched, but women andgirls need training in advocating forthemselves which leads to empowerment.One hopes that a traditionally male-dominated society will change, but that cantake a long time if women and girls are notempowered and enabled to make changehappen.”Respondents also expressed a desire toknow more about the programs currentlybeing offered in Long Beach for women andgirls, suggesting the City of Long Beachincrease awareness of such programs. Forexample, one participant stated, “There arelots of resources available for all sorts ofassistance, I think they need to be bettercommunicated and advertised to thecommunity” while others responded with“How do we know what programs / if anyalready exist?” and “promote the programsthat the multitude of non-profits in LB offerto girls in LB.”

LBCWG FINAL REPORT
Theme 6: Educational Support
This theme focused on supporting educational
pursuits for women and girls in Long Beach. A
total of 52 responses in the Topic Priority open-
ended questions pertained to educational
support, representing 6% of responses. Multiple
sub-themes emerged including: 1) mental
health education (e.g., “Better public education
resources, more public-school classes like
health education, we need to change the
culture and lessen stereotypes associated with
mental health needs", 2) sex education (e.g.,
“Comprehensive sex and health education…that
includes mental health; consent, healthy
relationships + boundaries; what happens
during puberty…”), 3) STEM (e.g., “access to
STEM classes from elementary school on”, 4)
financial literacy (e.g., “Education and how to
pay for a college education. Education on
finances”), and 5) career education (e.g.,
“Education and training for jobs outside of the
food industry and cleaning”).
40 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THECREATION OF THE LONG BEACHCOMMISSION ON WOMEN AND GIRLS MAY 2023
The LBCWG community survey sought to align the priorities of a new LBCWG with the needs andrecommendations of the Long Beach community. Four recommendations related to women’s andgirls’ economic equity, safety, health, and education have been developed consideringquantitative and qualitative feedback from survey participants. The established recommendationswere developed to guide the future LBCWG in its efforts to eliminate gender-based inequities inLong Beach through intentional advocacy, outreach, programming, and policy-based intervention.

Each recommendation is supported by proposed policy and programming that can drive thedirection of the LBCWG in its efforts to address these recommendations. These recommendationsand proposed solutions should also serve as an initial guide with the expectation that iterativecommunity feedback, changing conditions among Long Beach women and girls, and ongoingresearch will continue to shape the direction of the LBCWG. 41 RECOMMENDATION 1: EMPLOY MULTI-LEVEL STRATEGIES THAT FACILITATE

INDIVIDUAL, COMMUNITY, AND STRUCTURAL CHANGES THAT PROMOTE ECONOMIC

EQUITY FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS IN LONG BEACH
MAY 2023
Support equal pay for women and girls whilerequiring wage data from public and privatecompanies to address wage inequities.

Pursue funding to support women’s transitionto higher-skilled employment opportunitiesthrough training programs, workforcedevelopment, and employment certifications.

Pursue funding for childcare fee subsidizationand/or free childcare for low-income womenand girls, particularly for the care of childrenunder the age of 2.

Pursue funding for salary support for womenand girls on employment leave for childbirthand/or caregiving.

Incentivize the expansion of childcarefacilities and childcare providers to increasethe number of available and affordablequality childcare facilities in Long Beach.

Evaluate housing guidelines that prohibitwomen from accessing affordable housing inLong Beach.

Explore a Women’s Resource Center toprovide education, career growth, anddigital/internet access to women and girlsliving in Long Beach, particularly those whoare from an under-resourced communityincluding Black, Latinx, Asian, Indigenous andother persons of color, undocumentedwomen, and girls, and those from theLGBTQIA+ community.

Policy Solutions Support the creation and advancement ofcareer development support programs,incorporating language equity, to furtherdevelop women and girls’ job skills (e.g.,salary negotiations, resume development,and strategies to address genderdiscrimination in the workplace).

Develop workplace education and trainingprograms that empower women and girls inthe workplace by raising awareness ofworkplace discrimination policies andprocedures and workers’ protections whenfiling health, safety, or equal pay actcomplaints.

Programmatic Solutions
42 RECOMMENDATION 2: DEVELOP COMPREHENSIVE GENDER-RESPONSIVE POLICIES

AND PRACTICES THAT PROMOTE THE SAFETY OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SPACES IN LONG BEACH.

MAY 2023
Develop and uphold standardized policyguidelines for coordinated support frompoint-of-care professionals (e.g., firstresponders, healthcare practitioners, socialworkers, mental health providers) forwomen and girls living in Long Beach whoare exposed to violence.

Pursue funding to create a city-widegender-inclusive sexual assault hotline andresponse team, incorporating languageequity.

Pursue funding for financial support forwomen and girls living in Long Beach totransition and recover from experiences ofviolence.

Support grant opportunities for communityorganizations dedicated to building strongerneighborhoods and confronting violenceagainst women and girls living in LongBeach.

Assess the built environment in Long Beachand develop a plan to ensure equitablesafety resources (e.g., high-intensitylighting, uncracked sidewalks) across LongBeach communities.

Develop an outreach action plan (e.g.,website, social media posts, etc.),incorporating language access, wherewomen and girls can receive education,resources, and advocacy support to addressviolence against women and girls living inLong Beach.

Policy Solutions Pursue funding for low-cost and/or freeself-defense classes for women and girls.

Pursue funding for education programsthat raise awareness of the signs of abuse,safety considerations, and resources forwomen and girls experiencing domestic orsexual abuse.

Pursue funding for education programs andincentives for female first responders to betrained on gender-inclusive best practicesfor responding to violence against womenand girls.

Pursue funding for programs to supportfree legal support for women and girlsexperiencing violence.

Programmatic Solutions
43 RECOMMENDATION 3: PROMOTE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO INCLUSIVE HEALTHCARE

SERVICES, HEALTH EDUCATION, AND SUPPORT TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS IN LONG BEACH.

MAY 2023
Develop an ordinance requiring sensitivitytraining and inclusive practices supportingequity in gender, race, weight, sexualorientation, and disability status amonghealthcare organizations and facilities.

Evaluate the accessibility of Long Beachphysical spaces, programs, and resources todevelop a plan to promote equitableopportunities for enhanced quality of lifeamong Long Beach women and girlsregardless of disability status.

Improve access to affordable physical andmental healthcare for women and girls viasupport for telehealth and patient supportservices.

Implement a policy to support theaccessibility, procurement, and awarenessof services regarding contraception,pregnancy care, and perinatal care,including abortion services.

Require free menstrual care products inmale, female, and gender-neutral schooland public restrooms in Long Beach Develop an outreach action plan (e.g., flyers,ads, pamphlets), incorporating languageaccess, to inform Long Beach women andgirls about where they can receive qualityand affordable mental and physicalhealthcare.

Policy Solutions
.

Develop specialized clinics that focus onwomen’s and girls’ health including safe,affirming care for transwomen.Develop a training program for K-12educators in mental health first aid andtrauma-informed recovery with a focus onwomen and girls.Develop an incentive program for LongBeach women and girls from an under-resourced community (e.g., BIPOC,undocumented, transgender, and personswith disabilities) to pursue education inmental health and/or healthcare with acommitment to provide services to LongBeach women and girls.Expand programs to provide low-costand/or free mental health services to LongBeach women and girls. Expand programs that provide sexeducation to women and girls living in LongBeach.

Programmatic Solutions

44 RECOMMENDATION 4: EXPAND AND CREATE OPPORTUNITIES TO PROMOTE GENDER EQUITY IN EDUCATION FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS IN LONG BEACH.

MAY 2023
Allocate funding for scholarships specific towomen and girls, particularly those whoidentify as persons from under-resourcedcommunities (e.g., BIPOC, undocumented,transgender, and persons with disabilities).

Develop a policy to ensure accessibleeducation for women and girls living in LongBeach.

Provide funding for free digital hot spots forwomen and girls living in Long Beach.

Develop an outreach action plan to providematerials, incorporating language access, toinform women and girls living in Long Beachabout inclusive and accessible educationalsupport (e.g., books, speakers, tutoring,programming).

Provide basic needs to support women andgirls facing housing insecurities who arepursuing their education.

Policy Solutions Develop programs that provide educationalopportunities that promote femalementorship for women and girls living inLong Beach.

Develop programs that provide educationalopportunities for women and girls living inLong Beach to pursue Science,Technology, Engineering, Arts, andMathematics (STEAM).

Develop programs that support equitableeducation for women and girls living withdisabilities in Long Beach.

Programmatic Solutions
45 MAY 2023

CONCLUSION
This report serves as a guiding tool for a newly established Long Beach Commission for Women andGirls (LBCWG) that will ensure that its foundation is built upon the voices of the Long Beachcommunity. These findings indicate that on each quality of life indicator, women and girls needsupport, resources, advocacy, and vital political action. It is clear that COVID-19 has exacerbatedinequities for women and girls further necessitating a Commission focusing on the unique needs ofwomen and girls.

The recommendations provided in this report provide high-level suggestions that are complex butfeasible provided community engagement, advocacy, and legislative progress. Moreover, a LBCWGmust align its efforts with that of the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls(CCSWG) which has been engaged in reducing gender inequities among California’s women and girlsfor the past 50 years. Locally, the LBCWG should build partnerships with direct service providers andnonprofit organizations that will strengthen efforts to improve the quality of life among women andgirls in Long Beach.

Of note, approximately 94% of survey participants completed the survey online. Online survey methodstend to favor those individuals without disabilities, who have the time, education, and digital privilegeto complete online surveys. Though this survey methodology allowed many surveys to be completedin a short time, the findings may not be representative of those who may be in the most need ofsupport. An LBCWG should prioritize engagement and assessment among the most under-resourcedwomen and girls to ensure their voices are equitably represented in future action plans. 46 MAY 2023

REFERENCES
47 POLICY LINK (2019). AN EQUITABLE GROWTH PROFILE OF LONG BEACH: SUMMARY EP_SUMMARY- LONG_BEACH_WEB_02.07.19B (1).PDF. RETRIEVED FROM NATIONALEQUITYATLAS.ORG.

WYER, M., IEDEMA, R., HOR, S. Y., JORM, C., HOOKER, C., & GILBERT, G. L. (2017). PATIENT INVOLVEMENT CAN AFFECT CLINICIANS’ PERSPECTIVES AND PRACTICES OF INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL: A “POST-QUALITATIVE” STUDY USING VIDEO-REFLEXIVE ETHNOGRAPHY. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF QUALITATIVE METHODS, 16(1), 1609406917690171.

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