"Be the change you want to see in the world."
- Gandhi
Are you a passionate young woman 12 – 18 years old and looking to share your voice?
Are you ready to be a leader in our community? Come and join the Girl’s Advisory Team!
Work with girls like YOU to improve the current status of women and girls in the Santa Clara County.
On a cold December Saturday in 2010 over 100 girls came from Palo Alto, from Gilroy and from every city in between… a few came as far away as Mountain House, Oakland and San Francisco. They gathered at the Mexican Heritage Plaza to develop their leadership skills through the creative arts and to celebrate their talents, celebrate their minds, and celebrate sisterhood. The day was nothing short of magical. Participants were sad to see it end and knew this could not be a one-time event.
One participant, a senior from Notre Dame, took time to seek out the Office of Women’s Policy (OWP) staff. She thanked us for making this day possible and then issued a challenge: Why is there not a Santa Clara County Girls Advisory Team?
What is the Girls Advisory Team?
OWP has been committed to addressing the needs of girls since its inception in 1998 and works with two of the largest, most active advisory boards of the County – the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and the Domestic Violence Council (DVC). Whether addressing unequal pay for women, creating a workplace that supports women, looking at the needs of women and girls in the criminal justice system, or addressing violence against women, including domestic violence and human trafficking, OWP serves as a catalyst for dialogue and action to address the needs of women and girls and to ensure their issues are considered in decision-making. Both the CSW and DVC join OWP in recognizing the importance of including the voices and perspective of girls and how vital this is to educating our community about issues impacting women of every age.
Research has shown that one of the most effective ways to improve a community and to create positive change across the globe is to focus on educating girls. Challenge ignites innovation! Despite the fiscal crisis and declining resources, we are determined to identify and support an initial group of girls to expand their civic leadership and leverage their time, talent and ideas to help impact local public policy for the advancement of women and girls.
We are seeking girls age 12 – 18 who reside in Santa Clara County for participation in this dynamic, inaugural team. All girls are encouraged to apply today.