1. Reproductive Health and the Environment 2010
A follow-up to the
Los Angeles County Women’s Health
Summit, 2007
Setting Short-term, Achievable Goals in the Area of Women’s Health and the Environment

2. The 2007 Los Angeles County Women’s Health Summit identified reproductive health and the environment as a priority area in women’s health for L.A. County.

3. An invitation only “Convening of Experts”
was held January 26, 2010 at the California
Endowment’s Center for Healthy
Communities to define short-term goals and
objectives.
Approx. 90 individuals representing the areas of
advocacy, academic research, public policy,
and community education attended.

4. Short-term goals to be achieved within three years include:
Research
Community Advocacy
Policy

5. RESEARCH
Use existing resources to investigate the effect of toxins on the reproductive health of the women of L.A. County
Use existing surveys to investigate the effects of toxic exposures on women’s health.
Institute geo-coding to track areas where women’s reproductive health is affected
Identify knowledge gaps related to women’s reproductive health and the environment amongst researchers and health care providers, and deliver education and training programs

6. COMMUNITY ADVOCACY
Provide for existing community advocacy programs, promote education of stakeholders, and encourage “green purchasing” by government entities as an economic strategy to reduce environmental toxins
Support existing initiatives and build educational programs for families, communities, policy makers, and elected officials
Implement advocacy strategies which encourage local governments and school districts to adopt green purchasing
Encourage the development of economic empowerment zones that support clean technologies in businesses.

7. Determine methods and procedures for
COMMUNITY ADVOCACY
Determine methods and procedures for
Regulating and enforcing workers rights to be protected from toxins
Encouraging the use of safer products in the work environment
Ensuring that the use of safer alternatives does not adversely impact working conditions. 

8. POLICY
Use research and community advocacy to educate policy makers in “win-win” strategies to avoid and/or minimize exposing our communities to toxins
Promote knowledge and enforcement of Proposition 65 (The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986) which instituted a ranking system of chemicals and products from those that “do no harm” to those identified as “very toxic.”
Work to educate city planners, manufacturers, distributors, etc. about “green policies”.
Determine how to reword and realign messages that convey environmental risks to inspire activism.

9. Short-term goals to be achieved within three years include:
Research
Community Advocacy
Policy