CCSWG

Join the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, @ccswg , and the @cawomenscaucus for a virtual policy update on May 19, 2026 at 2:00 pm. We will share the latest policy updates, provide key insights, and continue building the momentum sparked at the Commission's 2025 November’s Convening and our last quarterly post-convening meeting in February. The challenges facing women and girls across California require a united, statewide response and your voice, leadership, and local expertise are essential. By showing up, sharing what you’re seeing in your community, and engaging directly with the Commission and the LWC, you help shape the policies and strategies that will guide our work in the months ahead. We encourage you to come ready to participate, collaborate, and energize one another. This gathering is an opportunity to strengthen our collective impact, align efforts across regions, and ensure that communities are represented as we move forward together. Your partnership matters. Your advocacy matters. And your presence helps build the strong, connected network needed to advance equity for women and girls statewide. We look forward to seeing you there and continuing this important work, together. 🔗 Register at the link in bio.

🌟 Huge Congratulations to our Youth Advisory Council Vice Chair Sriya, @_sriya.s_ on being awarded the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Scholarship from the @apseasac Foundation! 🌟 We are incredibly proud to celebrate this well‑deserved recognition from the APSEA Foundation, an organization dedicated to uplifting API leaders through education, mentorship, and community investment. Sriya Srinivasan continues to lead with heart, purpose, and a deep commitment to public service, and this scholarship is a powerful testament to her impact and potential. The APSEA Foundation’s support of emerging leaders like her strengthens the pipeline of API representation across government and community spaces, and we’re honored to see her shine among this year’s scholars. Please join us in congratulating her on this milestone! We can’t wait to see all the ways she’ll continue to inspire and lead. 💛✨ #APSEAFoundation #AAPILeaders #YouthLeadership #CommunityEmpowerment #NextGenLeaders

Thank you to everyone who joined us this week for CAPIAA’s Full Commission Meeting and AAPI Heritage Month Open House! This week’s meeting included important conversations on education equity, economic opportunity, legislative priorities, and community engagement. We also want to thank Dr. Alexis Takagi and Jessie Ryan, President of Campaign for College Opportunity, for presenting and discussing the importance of the AANHPI Higher Education Report and advancing equity for AANHPI students across California. We’re especially grateful to the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls for partnering with us on the open house celebration, and to all of our commissioners, partners, advocates, and community members who came out to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with us. Special thank you to Sapha Kafae and Sana’a Cafe for the amazing food and refreshments! #AAPIHeritageMonth #CAPIAA #AANHPI #California #HigherEducation #EducationEquity #Community #Sacramento #OpenHouse

The Commission was honored to co-sponsor the @womensfoundca Solís Policy Institute Legislative Reception, where we connected with California changemakers and this year’s SPI State fellows in celebrating their powerful, community rooted policy work. The reception celebrates SPI’s work from protecting the privacy and safety of immigrants and the people who serve them, to expanding midwifery care in underserved regions, to ensuring young people, especially LGBTQIA+ youth and youth of color, can access sexual health resources without barrier or shame. Our Executive Director Darcy Totten represented the Commission’s commitment to advancing gender justice and community-driven policy. We’re grateful for this partnership and for the Women’s Foundation California’s leadership in building the next generation of feminist policymakers and movement leaders.

The Commission was honored to join our partners at the @californiawbc for the California Women’s Economic Summit at the Tsakopoulos @librarygalleria in Sacramento. Our Executive Director Darcy Totten was the morning keynote and spoke about the largest intergenerational wealth transfer in human history. This moment is historic, but it’s also a call to action. Women continue to face systems never designed for their full participation, from persistent wage gaps to unequal access to capital. Yet by 2030, women are projected to control the majority of extreme wealth in the U.S. Wealth alone doesn’t change systems. Investment, ownership, and leverage do. And women are increasingly positioned to reshape the economic landscape for generations to come. We’re grateful to the California Women’s Business Centers Network for convening this critical conversation and for their leadership in advancing women’s economic power statewide.

In celebration of AAPI Heritage Month, we were happy to connect with community members during our joint open house with @CommissionAPIA . We were pleased to share our mission and priorities and learn more about local organizations serving the AANHPI Community. Thank you to CAPIAA for collaborating on this successful community event!

The @cagovernor is launching a new statewide initiative, Engaged California, inviting public participation in shaping AI policy. Working alongside @california_odi , @engagedcalifornia is designed to ensure Californians have a direct voice in how AI is governed and integrated into public services. Californian residents are encouraged to participate and can sign up and find more information at engaged.ca.gov/ai.

@asmcelesterodriguez recently announced the “Moms Agenda,” a coordinated effort to advance policies that directly support mothers and their children across California. The legislative package is aimed at uplifting families by improving maternal and infant health, economic stability, and access to essential services. The Commission is proud to share that we are co-sponsoring and supporting several bills included in the Mom’s Agenda: AB 1914 (@asmpilarschiavo )(Co-Sponsor) Childcare This bill would require local entities to prepare and adopt childcare plans into the next general plan to address childcare needs in their jurisdiction. AB 1709 (@assemblyrbk )(Co-Sponsor) Social Media Platforms This bill would prohibit a covered platform from permitting a user who is under 16 years of age to create or maintain an account on the covered platform. AB 2160 (@asmcelesterodriguez ) Medi-Cal Lactation Services This bill would require the Department of Health Care Services to issue updated Medi-Cal guidance that clarifies Medi-Cal coverage for lactation services, including education related to lactation, basic lactation support, and lactation consultation. AB 2030 (@asmLowenthal ) Dietary Supplements This bill would prohibit a person from selling over-the-counter diet pills or dietary supplements for weight loss or muscle building to any person under 18 years of age For full details on the bills we sponsor or support please visit our website at www.women.ca.gov.

This AAPI Heritage Month, we’re proud to honor trailblazers whose brilliance and leadership continue to shape our world. Innovators like Deepika Kurup, Dr. Ann Tuskamoto, Joyce Chen, and Yoky Matsuoka remind us how powerful it is when diverse voices and perspectives drive discovery. From pioneering clean‑water solutions to advancing stem cell research, and from transforming the culinary landscape to pushing the boundaries of robotics and AI their contributions strengthen our communities and inspire future generations of leaders. We celebrate their impact, their creativity, and the pathways they’ve opened for others. Their work is a testament to the extraordinary influence of AAPI leaders across every field. #AAPIHeritageMonth

1 in 5 moms goes through a mental health challenge during pregnancy or after giving birth. That’s not rare. That’s your friend, your sister, your neighbor…that was me. Last year I started working with California Surgeon General @casurgeongeneral on something called One Small Thing: a campaign about showing up for new moms in real, tangible ways. This month, we brought it to life with @girlscoutsla and the LA County Black Infant Health Group @blackinfanthealthla . Luna’s Girl Scout troop made care kits, wrote cards, and sat with moms to ask what they actually need. And what they said was simple: just don’t let me do this alone. Small acts of support reduce isolation, which is one of the strongest predictors of postpartum depression. But showing up for each other is only part of it. Moms need better systems too – better postpartum care, more resources, more people paying attention after you leave the hospital. We can do one small thing today and fight for bigger things tomorrow. Click the link in my bio for more ways to show up. Do something small for a mom in your life this month. It adds up 🤍 Thank you @casurgeongeneral @girlscoutsla @CCSWG @blackinfanthealthla @bloomcafela

We are proud to collaborate with @chrissyteigen , @girlscoutsla , the @casurgeongeneral , and community partner @spiceymoms to help Girl Scouts learn what One Small Thing they can do to support new families and new mothers. The Girl Scouts built care packages with supplies provided by @Spicey Moms for new mothers in the @blackinfanthealthla and delivered them at Bloomcafe. Did you know that the postpartum period, or the year after childbirth, is one of the most vulnerable and isolating times for mothers? In California, more than 60% of pregnancy-related deaths occur after hospital discharge, when medical visits taper off and social support often falls away. Research shows that loneliness and perceived isolation are among the strongest predictors of postpartum depression, anxiety, and crisis. “The One Small Thing campaign reminds us that helping new mothers truly takes a village,” said @ccswg Executive Director Darcy Totten. “Too often, the invisible labor that keeps families running, especially caregiving and household work, falls disproportionately on women, adding another layer of stress to new mothers. When spouses, partners, family members, and friends willingly step up and redistribute responsibilities more evenly, it not only strengthens families but also helps new mothers to be supported, valued, and seen. Every act of help, no matter how small, moves us closer to a culture where care and domestic work is shared equally.” What's One Small Thing you plan to do to help a new mom?

🌟 Applications Open May 15! 🌟 The Commission’s Youth Advisory Council is looking for passionate young women and girls ages 14–20 from across California! This is your chance to: ✨ Shape real policies impacting young people ✨ Build leadership & advocacy skills ✨ Connect with youth statewide ✨ Gain hands-on experience with California’s policy process ✨ Access mentorship and have meaningful, transformative conversations The application period runs May 15 – July 15, 2026 (11:59 PM PT). Don’t miss it! Learn more at: https://women.ca.gov/youth-advisory-council-applications/