Working groups and committees

The HHS Coordinating Committee on Women’s Health (CCWH) was established in 1984 to advise the Assistant Secretary for Health (and, in 1993, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health – Women’s Health) on activities across HHS that would safeguard and improve the physical and mental health of all women in the United States. The coordinating committee is chaired by the OWH Director, and members include senior-level representatives from each of the federal agencies and offices within HHS.

The HHS Steering Committee on Violence Against Women (VAW) was established in 1996 to strategically focus departmental collaboration on the issue of violence against women and girls. By exploring and promoting the intersections of research, education, and training, Steering Committee members build links with colleagues across HHS to improve the Department’s response to violence against women and girls. Co-chaired by OWH senior leadership and the Administration for Children and Families, the Steering Committee on VAW is made up of senior-level representatives from diverse agencies and offices throughout HHS and other federal entities.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Working Group on Human Trafficking was formed in 2012, co-led by the Administration for Children and Families and OWH, to inform the development of the Federal Strategic Action Plan on Services for Victims of Human Trafficking in the United States (2013–2017). The HHS Working Group on Human Trafficking meets quarterly to coordinate the implementation of the Plan, share information, and discuss other intra-agency collaborative efforts that cut across health and human service systems.

OWH leads the cross-agency Federal Women’s Health Web Council. The Council’s mission is to improve the accessibility and quality of women’s digital health information available throughout the federal government. The Council meets bimonthly and is made up of representatives from many federal agencies and offices who support their offices’ Web and social media activities on women’s health. The Council is chaired by the OWH Division of Strategic Communication. Members discuss new media tools and share resources, best practices, and lessons learned to increase coordination and collaboration in the creation of federal digital women’s health information.