Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 35, Number 6, 1 June 2018 — OHA releases report on the health of Native Hawaiian women [ARTICLE]

OHA releases report on the health of Native Hawaiian women

By Office of Hawaiian Affairs Staff The Office of Hawaiian Affairs launched Haumea: Transforming the Health of Native Hawaiian Women and Empowering Wāhine Well-Being, a 150-page report on the well-being of Native Hawaiian females at Ka Waiwai on May 4. About 100 leaders and representatives of various Native Hawaiian-serving organizations, state agencies and not-for-profit organizations attended the launeh event, whieh included presentations and speeches about the impoilanee of the study's findings as well as discussions on recommendations and next steps. Haumea coincided with Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, when communities across the United States celebrate the unique cultural heritage of Polynesians, Mela-

nesians, Micronesians and Asian Americans. Haumea builds upon Kānehō' ālani: Transforming the Health of Native Hawaiian Men, OHA's 2017 report on the well-being of Native Hawaiian men. This year's Haumea report is grounded in data gleaned from various state departments, federal survey systems, among other sources. However, what sets Haumea's apart ffom previous research is its wide-ranging scope and cultural emphasis toward solutions and systems advocacy. "OHA's goal with this report is to raise the profile of the health challenges and inequities facing our native women so we ean have an open discussion within our community, with the broader public and with decision makers about how to move forward with solutions," said Dr. Kamana'opono Crabbe, OHA Chief Executive Officer/Ka Pouhana.

This new publication examines important issues impacting Native Hawaiian females from keiki to kupuna, including mental and emotional wellbeing, suicidality, physical health, chronic diseases, matemal and child health, intimate partner violence, incarceration, eeonomie wellness, poverty rates, underrepresented occupations, gender wage gaps, and mueh more. The report also underscores the importance of investing in community and culture as a source of resilince and well-being for Native Hawaiians. Haumea includes system-widerecommendations for policy and programmatic consideration to help elevate women's well-being as a priority in Hawai'i. OHA is developing a similar report on the health of Native Hawaiian 'ohana, slated for release in 2019, whieh will feature a focus on families, including transgender non-binary research, data and recommendations. To view Haumea: Transforming the Health of Native Hawaiian Women and Empowering Wāhine Well-Being, please visit www.oha.org/ wahineheahh. To view Kānehō'ālani: Transforming the Health of Native Hawaiian Men, please visit www.oha.org/kanehealth. ■