The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, or CCSWG, announced the release of the 2026 Girls Agenda, a comprehensive statewide policy roadmap created by the commission’s Youth Advisory Council.
Developed by 17 youth commissioners representing communities across California, the Girls Agenda outlines urgent priorities in education and workforce development, health and access, and safety and prevention. Each section is grounded in current data, lived experience and the realities girls face every day.
“The Girls Agenda is more than a report; it is a call to action,” said Chair of the CCSWG Youth Advisory Council Nicole Kim. “Girls are navigating challenges from food insecurity and mental health struggles to inequitable access to STEM education and unsafe environments. This agenda reflects our vision for a California where every girl can grow up safe, healthy, and able to pursue the education and opportunities that shape her future.”
The Girls Agenda highlights the systemic barriers that continue to affect the lives of girls statewide, including the high cost of childcare, underrepresentation in STEM fields, rising rates of depression among teen girls, food insecurity, menstrual inequity, and persistent threats to safety.
The Girls Agenda also identifies gaps in existing policy implementation, such as uneven enforcement of menstrual equity laws and limited access to mental health resources in rural and low-income communities.
“This work is essential because the challenges facing girls today are complex and interconnected,” said Chair of the CCSWG Dr. Rita Gallardo Good. “Girls are sharing their needs with us, and The Girls Agenda ensures that their voices will guide our policy priorities. By uplifting girls’ voices, we strengthen the future of every community in California.”
Key recommendations in The Girls Agenda include:
• Expanding access to computer science and STEM courses;
• Strengthening childcare support for teen parents;
• Improving nutrition and eating disorder education in schools;
• Enforcing menstrual equity laws;
• Increasing mental health resources; and
• Enhancing Title IX protections and violence prevention education.
The Girls Agenda also calls for youth-centered approaches to digital safety, reproductive health access, and teen dating violence prevention.
“Our Youth Advisory Council has done extraordinary work,” said Executive Director of the CCSWG Darcy Totten. “Their leadership, insight, and honesty have shaped a powerful blueprint for change. The Girls Agenda is a reminder that when we listen to girls, we can help them create policies that reflect their lived realities and support our collective future. This effort continues the Commission’s commitment to ensuring girls’ voices remain central to statewide decision-making and that those most impacted by policy have a seat at the table to help design it.”
The commission will use The Girls Agenda to guide its policy advocacy and programming throughout 2026 and will partner with state agencies, legislators and community organizations to advance the recommendations.
The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls recognizes that youth aren’t just the leaders of tomorrow — they’re powerful changemakers today.
The commission’s Youth Advisory Council provides young Californians (ages 14–20) with a meaningful platform to engage with the commission’s legislative work and help shape and elevate policies that impact their lives.
Through this council, youth connect with other youth across the state, develop advocacy and leadership skills, obtain hands-on experience with California’s policy process, participate in mentorship, and have transformative conversations about the needs of our state’s young people.
For more than 50 years, the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls has identified and worked to eliminate inequities in state laws, practices, and conditions that affect California’s women and girls. Established as a state agency with 17 appointed commissioners in 1965, the Commission regularly assesses gender equity in health, safety, employment, education, and equal representation in the military, and the media. The Commission provides leadership through research, policy and program development, education, outreach and collaboration, advocacy, and strategic partnerships. Learn more at www.women.ca.gov.