• to achieve access to health care for all women and girls in Connecticut;

• to advance the representation of women at all levels of decision-making, research and service delivery;

• to promote awareness of women and girls’ health care needs; and

• to educate the public, especially state policymakers, about these needs.

Health care for women should be:

• Gender appropriate
• Culturally competent
• Comprehensive and preventive
• Universal
• Confidential

GENDER APPROPRIATE care addresses gender inequities in health care including oppression. It acknowledges differences in clinically effective interventions for women. It should also allow consumers to access an array of practitioners, including midwives and nurse-practitioners. Settings should include those which are community-based and provide safety net services to underserved populations, including women and girls.

CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY COMPETENT health care should be responsive and inclusive of diverse populations and differences among clients.

COMPREHENSIVE and PREVENTIVE care must include but not be limited to the full range of reproductive health care, specialty care, mental health and substance abuse treatment, preventive health care, acute and long-term care, and rehabilitative care.

UNIVERSAL coverage should be affordable and accessible for all people.

CONFIDENTIAL care is essential to protect access for all people including, but not limited to minors, people with HIV infection, people seeking reproductive health care, behavioral health services, and survivors of domestic or sexual violence.