Blueprint for Investing in Girls and Young Women Susan Leicher Thompson & Columbus, Inc. September 2015 VOICES FROM THE FIELD: Blueprint for Investing in Girls & Young Women

VOICES FROM THE FIELD SERIES The second of four Voices from the Field reports: Cover roles, strengths, challenges and best ways to support NYC’s low-income women and girls at four major developmental stages of their lives: − − − − 60+ Based on literature and the first-hand views of leading experts VOICES FROM THE FIELD: Blueprint for Investing in Girls & Young Women

DEMOGRAPHICS: Size and Scope 800,000 strong: roughly 10% total NYC population 75% are young women of color or young women from immigrant families - 50% immigrants or the daughters of immigrants - 16% live in “linguistically isolated” homes Race/Ethnicity : - 13% Asian - 25% Black - 35% Latina - 25% White LBQ Self-Identification: - Asian: 9% - Black: 21% - Latina: 22% - White: 11% VOICES FROM THE FIELD: Blueprint for Investing in Girls & Young Women

DEMOGRAPHICS: Economic Situation 30% girls, age 9-18, live in households below the Federal Poverty Line - Asians: 26% - Blacks: 30% - Latinas: 40% - Whites: 18% Many more live just above the Federal Poverty Line The FPL significantly undercounts actual economic insecurity VOICES FROM THE FIELD: Blueprint for Investing in Girls & Young Women

DEMOGRAPHICS: Living Situations 45%: More than one adult caregiver 55%: One adult caregiver (for 25,000 that caregiver is a grandmother) As many as 10,000 in highly unstable living situations: - 2,000 in child welfare system - 4,000 commercially trafficked or enslaved - 5,000 – 10,000 homeless/“on the streets” VOICES FROM THE FIELD: Blueprint for Investing in Girls & Young Women

THE STARTING LINE: Assets and Strengths Vital Family Supporters - Wage earners - Translators/interpreters/advocates - Caregivers for other family members Independent Agents - School system - Health/mental health system - Reproductive health system Natural Leaders - STEM – with a purpose - Community Change VOICES FROM THE FIELD: Blueprint for Investing in Girls & Young Women

THE HURDLES Pervasively undermining messages Dangerous environmental conditions Limited, constraining or dangerous family circumstances Inadequate focus on their strengths, needs, and situations VOICES FROM THE FIELD: Blueprint for Investing in Girls & Young Women

Messages Behavior: “keep quiet and do what you are told” Roles: “serve the needs of others” Background: bias against race/ethnicity, immigration status, religion or appearance VOICES FROM THE FIELD: Blueprint for Investing in Girls & Young Women

Environmental Conditions Crumbling housing/industrial waste Limited access to good nutrition/recreational facilities Pervasive violence VOICES FROM THE FIELD: Blueprint for Investing in Girls & Young Women

Family Circumstances Lack of survival assets Overworked parents Inappropriate adult demands/role reversals Constrained definitions of success Overt preferential treatment of boys Serious unaddressed family issues VOICES FROM THE FIELD: Blueprint for Investing in Girls & Young Women

SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE: Don’t They Care About Us? Inadequate focus on strengths, talents, passions and skills Inadequate focus on situations, challenges, and needs VOICES FROM THE FIELD: Blueprint for Investing in Girls & Young Women

OUTCOMES: Losses and Costs Education: - 40% of NYC girls of color do not finish high school - Only 12% are “college ready” upon graduation Health: % of black and Latina girls have asthma % of black and Latina girls are obese - One in seven NYC Latina girls attempts suicide Safety: - Up to 10,000 are pushed into foster care, into the commercial sex trade or into homelessness VOICES FROM THE FIELD: Blueprint for Investing in Girls & Young Women

BEST PRACTICE SOLUTIONS Incorporate certain consistent across-the-board features: - Take cues from girls themselves - Provide a safe space in which to acknowledge, discuss and address challenges - Provide opportunities to explore diverse skills and talents (academic, artistic, athletic, leadership) - Provide opportunities to make a difference – for themselves and for others Provide survival resources as appropriate Produce extraordinary results VOICES FROM THE FIELD: Blueprint for Investing in Girls & Young Women

SUMMARY OF TAKE-AWAYS Girls in communities of color/immigrant communities fill vital roles They face challenges rooted in the intersecting forces of poverty, racial/ethnic prejudice, and gender bias Current service system inadequately focuses on their situations and strengths Best practices include providing greater safety, a larger voice, and better opportunities Investment in best practice produces major short- and long-term results VOICES FROM THE FIELD: Blueprint for Investing in Girls & Young Women

Panelists: Dr. Angela Diaz, Director, Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center Amanda Kraus, Founder & Executive Director, Row NY Cidra M. Sebastien, Associate Executive Director, Brotherhood/Sister Sol Moderator: Margarita Rosa, Executive Director, National Center for Law and Economic Justice VOICES FROM THE FIELD: Blueprint for Investing in Girls & Young Women