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COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
City and County of San Francisco
Minutes
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
5:00 PM
City Hall, Room 408
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 94102
Members Present Staff Present
President Andrea Shorter Executive Director Emily Murase
Vice President Angela Williams Deputy Director Rosario Navarrette
Commissioner Andrea Evans Executive Assistant Bernice Casey
Commissioner Jing Xu Lee Secretary Richard Eijima
Commissioner Carolene Marks Policy Analyst Carol Sacco
Commissioner Katherine Munter
- CALL TO ORDER/ AGENDA CHANGES
President Shorter called the meeting to order at 5:06 PM.
Commissioner Keehn was excused.
Commissioner Evans departed at 7:00 PM.
Commissioner Munter departed at 7:28 PM.
No public comment.
Action: Adopted minutes for COSW Meeting, March 23, 2005.
m/s/c (Munter/Williams/Unanimous)
No public comment.
3. PRESIDENT’S REPORT
President Shorter asked Commissioner Lee to report on the successful Working Families Credit press conference on April 8, 2005 with City Treasurer José Cisneros and Chief Administrator Officer Bill Lee. Ms. Lee stated that the conference was written up by five newspapers and picked up by two television stations. Commissioner Lee discussed the importance of the Commission being in the public eye and working with other City agencies.
President Shorter thanked Executive Director Emily Murase and the Department for the work they have been doing with a limited staff. She thanked Vice President Williams for her leadership with the Women in Leadership luncheon.
No public comment.
4. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT
- Executive Director Emily Murase directed the Commissioners to her full report provided in their packets.
Ms. Murase provided an update on staffing.
Secretary Richard Eijima gave a brief update on service statistics. Mr. Eijima said that with the assistance of Ken
Mai, the Department’s Youth Intern, he was able to clear the backlog of the last year and a half of backlog data from the Violence Against Women Intervention and Prevention (VAW) Grants Program. Mr. Ejima provided the Commission with a snapshot of quantitative analysis, reviewing services provided by Partner Agencies in the area of educational awareness.
Commissioner Munter asked if a system was now in place to track incoming data.
Mr. Eijima replied that there was a system now in place.
President Shorter thanked Mr. Eijima and stressed the necessity of having such data available.
- Violence Against Women (VAW) Partner Agency Profile: Institute on Aging
Mary Twomey with the Institute on Aging thanked the Commission for inviting her to speak and for the $10,000 in VAW grant money and stated that 2/3 of elder abuse victims are women. Ms. Twomey reviewed the Institute on Aging programs. She said that for every $1 of City money given to the Institute, the agency raised $20. She discussed shelter options available to the elder community. Ms. Twoomey asked for the Commission’s help in September when the Institute plans to do a campaign on elder abuse.
Commissioner Marks asked if it was true that only one domestic violence shelter was handicap accessible.
Public Comment.
Beckie Masaki, from the Asian Women’s Shelter, said that La Casa de las Madres and the Asian Women’s Shelter were ADA (American Disability Act) accessible. Ms. Masaki said that the Asian Women’s Shelter was working with Rosalie House to bring that agency into compliance.
CONSENT AGENDA
All matters listed hereunder constitute a Consent Agenda and are considered to be routine by the Commission on the Status of Women. They will be acted upon by a single roll call vote of the Commission. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a member of the Commission so requests, in which event the matter shall be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered as a separate item. Members of the public may speak on each item listed on the Consent Agenda.
President Shorter moved to postpone the resolution recognizing Mabel Teng.
Action: Approved Amended Consent Agenda.
m/s/c (Marks/Shorter/Unanimous)
No public comment.
- Assemblyperson Mark Leno’s AB 220, which would change the language of battered women’s syndrome. Res. No 2005-017
- The Commission sent a letter to Governor Schwarzenegger calling for the release of battered women prisoner Karen Narita.
- Resolved, That the Commission supports Assemblyperson Leland Yee’s AB 450, which would prohibit the sale, rental, distribution, and exhibition of violent video games in Californiato persons who are 16 years of age of younger. Res. No. 2005-018
- Resolved, That the Commission supports Assemblyperson Leland Yee’s AB 775, which would prohibit the use of children under the age of 15 as interpreters in hospitals, clinics, and doctor’s offices. Res.No. 2005-019
- recognizes the work of Ms. Marina Gatto as a youth activist.
Res. No. 2005-020
- The Commission sent a letter to the San Francisco School Board regarding sexual assault at Thurgood MarshallAcademicHigh School.
- The Commission sent a letter to the Police Commission regarding sexual harassment policies.
6. NEW BUSINESS
a. Free Battered Women
Andrea Bible gave an overview of Free Battered Women, a statewide coalition advocating for incarcerated survivors of domestic violence. Ms. Bible stated that the majority of 10,000 women in prison are survivors of domestic violence and their crimes are directly related to that abuse. Ms. Bible encouraged the Commission to continue to write letters on behalf of women in prison as they had done at today’s meeting on behalf of Linda Lee Smith and Karen Narita.
Commissioner Marks thanked Ms. Bible for her presentation and her work.
No public comment.
- Legal Action on Behalf of the Exotic Dancers
Mr. James Quadra discussed his representation of exotic dancers in two class action suits against the Gold Club and the Mitchell Brothers. Mr. Quadra reviewed the tactics used by exotic dance clubs to illegally deprive dancers of tips and wages; tactics he stated were City-wide. He cited the unlawful practices of having dancers pay stage fees; pay for custom costs; be denied meal breaks; and subject to piece rate wage calculations.
Commissioner Munter asked who the defendants were in the cases.
Mr. Quadra said he represented approximately 400 dancers against the Mitchell Brothers and approximately 500 dancers against the Gold Room. In October of 2005, discovery motions will be made in the case against the Gold Room.
Commissioner Evans asked about the involvement of the California Labor Commission.
Mr. Quadra said that 10 to 15 dancers have pending complaints with the Labor Commission. Historically, the Labor Commission has encouraged dancers to take $2,500 settlements from the club owners.
Mr. Quadra will discuss the concerns he has addressed in representing exotic dancers in the areas of stage fees and piece work in law suits against club owners.
President Shorter thanked Mr. Quadra for his testimony.
Mr. Matt Gabriel discussed the status of cases at the DNA Lab of the San Francisco Police Department. He provided an overview of the lab and staffing. Mr. Gabriel indicated that four new technicians had been hired. There are eight criminalists on staff, and each criminalist has 15-30 cases at one time. Mr. Gabriel said that the DNA Lab had been very proactive in seeking additional funding in the form of capacity enhancement grants and like.
President Shorter thanked Mr. Gabriel for his presentation.
Public Comment.
John Kelly, a member of the public, said that he had additional information which showed a serious backlog of cases.
Mr. Gabriel stated that he had the most current data regarding the backlog.
d. Community Agency Profile-Mujeres Unidas y Activas
Andrea Lee discussed the work of Mujeres Unidas y Activas and its impact on the women and girls of San Francisco, especially immigrant women. Ms. Lee said that the work of Mujeres Unidas y Activas was to help individual women in their lives. Ms. Lee asked two clients to talk about their experiences.
Benita said that she had been working with Mujeres Unidas y Activas for five years. She said that she had participated in the Caring Hand training which provided skills in elder care. She said that she also developed skills which allowed her to stand up for herself and to respect herself.
Emma said that her work with Mujeres Unidas y Activas has improved her self esteem and the assistance helped her understand and know her rights, as a worker. She has participated in protests to protect workers’ rights.
Ms. Lee thanked the Commission for her to share about her organization and said that she would be inviting the Commission to the 15th Annivesary of Mujeres Unidas y Activas.
e. California’s Road to Equity Tour
President Shorter asked the Commission to consider co-sponsoring the Women’s Foundation’s Road to Equity Tour.
Action: Approved Co-sponsoring Road to Equity Tour.
m/s/c (Williams/Lee/Unanimous)
No public comment.
- Change to Commission Calendar
President Shorter asked the Commission to consider changing the following Commission meeting dates: in June, moving the Commission meeting from June 22nd to June 29, 2005, and in August, moving the Commission meeting from August 24th to August 17, 2005.
Commissioner Marks asked why the changes needed to be made.
Executive Director Emily Murase explained that the changes were based on staff scheduling conflicts and coverage.
Action: Approved Commission calendar changes
m/s/c (Williams/Lee/Unanimous)
Executive Director Murase thanked the Commission
- San Francisco Women Against Rape (SFWAR)
Executive Director Murase informed the Commission that the Department terminated SFWAR’s contracts on April 20, 2005 due to contract violations. Ms. Murase said that Department would be working closely with the SFWAR Board and Executive Director Nina Jusuf. Ms. Murase said she would be meeting with them on a monthly basis to improve operations so that compliance would not be an issue with any future funding.
Deputy City Attorney Amy Ackerman stated that this was a discussion item and as such, the Commission did not have an action to take. Ms. Ackerman said that the Commission sets policy for the Executive Director and the Department. She said administering the grants fall under the purview of the Executive Director.
Public Comment.
Nina Jusuf, Executive Director of SFWAR, thanked the Commission and the Department for a positive collaboration. She said that SFWAR was taking the issue of contract compliance seriously. She said that SFWAR was the only community-based rape crisis center in San Francisco. Ms. Jusuf said that she looked forward to working with the Commission and the Department in the future.
Lisa Thomas-Adeyemo, with SFWAR, discussed SFWAR’s approach to counseling. She said that each survivor is viewed as their own ultimate expert. Ms. Thomas-Adeyemo said in the peer approach, counselors are allowed to “walk” beside the survivor. She said that funding from the Commission and the Department had allowed this type of counseling to take place.
Patricia Burns, with SFWAR, discussed the historical importance of the work of SFWAR. Ms. Burns said that SFWAR wanted to work closely with Executive Director Murase. She talked about the precious role SFWAR has in the community and the work with survivors is central to the overall work of SFWAR.
Nisha Anand, with SFWAR, discussed the work done within SFWAR’s prevention and education programs. Ms. Anand talked about how SFWAR staff was at the hospitals with survivors and available on the 24-hour hotline. She talked about the programs in the schools and how massive education cuts had eliminated programs. Ms. Anand stressed the importance of getting funding back so that the work could continue.
Beverly Upton, with the Domestic Violence Consortium (DVC), stressed the importance of having activist services in the community. She said that not everyone wanted to access institution-based services and that SFWAR was the only community-based rape crisis center. She offered the services of the DVC to bring agencies closer together.
Beckie Masaki, from the Asian Women’s Shelter, said that SFWAR provided a lifeline for survivors of sexual assault. She talked about the danger of cutting funding as we are about to cross into a new fiscal year and that the cuts send a message to the community that services may not be available. She asked that services be allowed to continue while work is being done on contract compliance.
Cindy Lecue, a former employee of SFWAR, acknowledged the services SFWAR has provided to the community. However, she stressed the need to be accountable to clients. Ms. Lecue said that political views should not be asserted when meeting client needs. Ms. Lecue said that when she raised these concerns within SFWAR she was dismissed.
Daisy Anarchy, with Sex Workers Organized for Civil and Human Rights, talked about the work SFWAR had done with sex workers who were survivors of sexual assault. Ms. Anarchy said that SFWAR empowered them in a holistic way.
President Shorter thanked everyone from coming forward. She said that she was looking forward to the continued dialogue between SFWAR and the Department.
h. Sexual Assault in San Francisco’s Schools
Executive Director Emily Murase reviewed the work the Department had done in the past with the San Francisco Unified School District regarding sexual assault prevention and reporting systems in the schools.
President Shorter asked that the Department to arrange meetings with the Board President and the Superintendent regarding this issue.
No public comment.
7. OLD BUSINESS
a. Commission Resolutions
The Commission discussed a policy for consideration of the Commissions for resolutions recognizing an organization, individual, or event.
Action: Approved a resolution policy.
m/s/c (Williams/Munter/Unanimous)
No public comment.
b. Report on the Labor Conditions of Exotic Dancers
Commissioner Munter said the Deputy City Attorney Dorji Roberts would have draft legislation available at the May 25, 2005 COSW meeting.
Acting Policy Analyst Bernice Casey provided the Commission with a report of the work the Department has been doing in this area.
Public Comment.
Daisy Anarchy, Sex Workers Organized for Civil and Human Rights, stressed the need to continue to push for enforcement and suggested inviting representatives from the Police Department, the District Attorney’s Office, and the Labor Commission to come before the Commission at a later time to report on progress to date.
- Outreach Efforts to Immigrant Communities
Commissioner Lee discussed the responsibility of the Commission to provide outreach to immigrant communities. She asked that the Commission consider developing a detailed action plan and timeline.
President Shorter stated that this work was not new to the Commission but an ongoing issue of concern. She suggested utilizing radio and written media to outreach to immigrant communites.
Commissioner Lee suggested a roundtable discussion with the ethnic media in June to ask for their help and ideas about outreach.
Commissioner Munter suggested more community meetings to make the public more aware of the work of the Commission.
President Shorter issued a challenge to the Commission. She suggested that Commissioners think critically of how to make the Commission more visible to the public and events the Commission could undertake on a quarterly basis.
Executive Director Emily Murase suggested identifying resources within the Commission, the Department, and the Partner Agencies. She suggested that the Commission revisit the Strategic Plan at the June 29, 2005 Commission meeting. Ms. Murase said the Strategic Plan must cover three fiscal year periods and that the new Strategic Plan contains a section regarding outreach to immigrant communities.
Vice President Williams said that outreach efforts should happen to all communities. Ms. Williams asked that the Commission consider how to increase its additional visibility.
Commissioner Marks suggested having a community meetings and to bring solutions to the community about the issues that have been raised.
Public Comment.
Beckie Masaki, from Asian Women’s Shelter, thanked Commissioner Lee for raising outreach to immigrant communities. Ms. Masaki discussed the outreach efforts already being undertaken by the Partner Agencies, including the Asian Women’s Shelter. She said that the Asian Women’s Shelter could provide crisis services in over 20 languages.
Beverly Upton, from the Domestic Violence Consortium, thanked Commissioner Lee. Ms. Upton urged the Commission to look to the community for a wealth of expertise such as API Legal Outreach.
Nina Jusuf, from SFWAR, asked that SFWAR be involved in collaboration. She said that immigrant outreach is part of the ongoing work at SFWAR. Ms. Jusuf said that SFWAR was able to offer services in ten languages.
President Shorter thanked everyone for their comments. She asked that the Commission continue the discussion at the June Commission meeting.
8. REPORTS DISCUSSION
a. Justice & Courage
Executive Director Murase gave a brief update. She reported that the Justice & Courage Oversight Panel had recognized the work of Deputy Director Rosario Navarrette at the last meeting. Ms. Murase said members of the Oversight Panel, Department staff, and members of the Commission had met with District Attorney Kamala Harris, Police Chief Heather Fong, and Public Defender Jeff Adachi.
Ms. Murase said that Police department was considering swapping the Domestic Violence Response Unit office space with the Homicide Unite, to the detriment of domestic violence survivors. The Domestic Violence Response Unit family-friendly waiting room was being moved within the Police Department. A letter expressing these concerns will be forwarded to Chief Fong.
Commissioner Williams reported that the Committee discussed the upcoming May 16th Women’s Health Summit.
Public Comment.
Daisy Anarchy, Sex Workers Organized for Civil and Human Rights, said the Domestic Violence Response Unit was scheduled to be moved to make room for the Homicide Unit because of the technology within the Domestic Violence Unit. She urged the Commission to talk about this issue and others with Chief Fong.
Commissioner Marks asked that homelessness be discussed at the next Commission meeting.
9. PUBLIC COMMENT
No public comment.
President Shorter reminded everyone that April 28th was Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day.
President Shorter adjourned the meeting at 7:46 PM.
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