(Approved February 1, 2003 by Commission on the Status of Women)

 

CEDAW Vision

• The local implementation of the United Nations Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) will result in women and girls fully exercising their human rights including an adequate standard of living, education, bodily integrity and health; while acknowledging the multiple identities of women and girls including race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexuality, nationality, age, family status and immigration status.

  Full implementation of CEDAW would ensure dignity and respect for women and girls in both public and private spaces; and end systemic forms of discrimination and violence towards women and girls in the United States.

  This strategic plan is intended to provide a roadmap for moving expeditiously towards the implementation of CEDAW in the City and County of San Francisco. The overall vision is that, ultimately,

   

• All aspects of public and private sector will fully integrated CEDAW into their systems and structures; and

   

• Everything that happens to San Francisco women and girls will be interpreted and acted upon using the CEDAW conceptual framework, analysis and language.

Five Year Action Plan

CEDAW principles are capitalized and bolded in Roman Numbers. Goals are lettered; priority goals and strategies are in bold. Strategies are numbered.

I. Implementation of Women And Girl's Human Rights (Cedaw General Principle)

A. Integrate the CEDAW analysis and framework into all of the Commission and Department on the Status of Women's work.

1. Train all staff and Commissioners about CEDAW so that they are able to utilize the framework in all of their work.
2. Conduct a gender analysis of the DOSW and report the findings to all staff and Commissioners.

B. Increase the number of women in decision-making roles and positions of authority.

1. Regularly report on the number of women serving on city Commissions.
2. Increase the number of women appointed to Commissions and promote the importance of Commissioners reflecting the diversity of San Francisco.
3. Educate all San Francisco Commissioners on CEDAW principles and the local ordinance.

C. Review federal, state, and local laws and public policies to identify systemic and structural discrimination against women and girls.

1. Identify three specific areas of the law where laws and/or policies interpreting the law result in systemic discrimination of women or girls.
2. Work with local, state or national advocacy organizations to recommend changes in the law that would effectively end the discrimination or prevent discriminatory laws from being created (such as Ward Connelly's Privacy Referendum).
3. To identify policy and program best practices that could be implemented in San Francisco which would result in eliminating the systemic discrimination against women and girls, or minimizing the impact of national or state laws that are discriminatory.

D. Integrate gender into every city department to achieve full equality for men and women through the city-wide budgeting process.

1. Develop a simplified gender analysis process that works for all areas of and including organizational/department budget, programs and services, and employment practices. The gender analysis process should allow for analysis by gender as well as by race/ethnicity, age and other identities.
2. Integrate gender analysis into annual planning, budgeting, and evaluation processes for San Francisco city departments.
3. Ensure that all city departments are trained to utilize the gender analysis to ensure that women and men achieve full equality in the department's services, programs and employment.
4. Promote awareness that women's rights are human rights by educating staff from city departments about the relevance and benefits of CEDAW.

E. Increase the public awareness of CEDAW principles and the local CEDAW Ordinance in the San Francisco communities.

1. Develop CEDAW expertise within local strategic partners including advocacy, civil rights, and community-based organizations.
2. Increase the understanding of CEDAW principles and the local CEDAW Ordinance through conducting local forums, trainings, and workshops.

II. Right to an Adequate Standard of Living

F. Increase the opportunities for non-traditional and higher-paid employment for women.

1. Increase the number of women employed by the City and County of San Francisco who are working in higher paid non-traditional jobs/classifications. While doing so, ensure representation of women of color equal to the population statistics.
2. Review city recruitment polices and recommend practices that would result in increasing the diversity of the city's employment pool.
3. Increase the number of women transitioning from welfare programs who are employed in non-traditional jobs earning wages that meet the Self Sufficiency Standard for San Francisco.
4. Develop mentoring/training programs within job related groups to support women entering the field and achieving success.

G. Develop and expand work/life policies that impact on women at all levels; ensure their availability to all women employees.

1. Assess the current understanding of city employees regarding work/life options currently available, and determine priorities for city work/life policies.
2. Increase the knowledge and awareness of San Francisco City and County employees regarding available work/life options.
3. Increase the knowledge and awareness of the private sector regarding the benefits of work/life policies, focusing on small business and non-profit organizations.

H. Increase women's access to financial resources, including bank accounts, loans, mortgages, and other forms of financial services.

1. Identify patterns of discrimination against women consumers by financial service providers, including banking, loans, and other financial services.
2. Increase the financial services and resources available to self employed women and/or women owned businesses
3. Increase the financial competency levels of women and girls, focusing on low-income communities.

III. Right to Bodily Integrity, Which Includes Mental, Physical, and Sexual Safety Well-Being

I. Increase civil and criminal justice, social service and other intervention strategies and make them more accessible to women and girls who experience violence.

J. Increase the viable, accessible options for preventing violence against women and girls.

K. Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and accessibility of the service delivery system (both governmental and nonprofit agencies) for both the prevention of violence and intervention services.

1. Implement the recommendations of the Justice & Courage Report.
2. Train managers from the agencies funded by the DOSW about CEDAW. Work with these agencies to incorporate the CEDAW analysis and framework in their work.

IV. Right to Access Adequate Health Care, Including Resources Adequate to Ensure Mental and Physical Well-Being, Not Just Absence Of Disease

L. Increase access to health care and wellness information to all women and girls, regardless of insurance, family status, economic status, or immigration status.

M. Monitor and evaluate the health care systems (including governmental, private for profit and nonprofit agencies) to ensure they are comprehensive and accessible.

N. Increase the knowledge and visibility about the impact of the environment on the health and well being of women and girls.

V. Human Rights of Girls to Education and Social Services

O. Ensure that equitable conditions for career and vocational guidance, for access to educational institutions of all categories; evaluate factors impacting the full participation of girls and young women in school based academic and extracurricular programs focusing on activities that encourage skills development in science, math, technology, vocational training in skilled labor and other forms of transferable skills.

P. Ensure access to specific educational information to help to ensure the health and well-being of girls and their families, including information and advice on family planning.

Q. Ensure that girls enjoy the equitable opportunities to participate actively in sports and physical education.

R. Ensure nondiscriminatory application of human, social, and justice system services to all girls.

CEDAW Committee

Existing CEDAW Task Force will sunset June 30, 2003. A new CEDAW Committee will be formed as a subcommittee to the Commission on the Status of Women (COSW). CEDAW Committee chair will be a commissioner and committee would report to COSW. Members would all be appointed by the COSW with nominations from current CEDAW Task Force Members. COSW will report to Mayor and Board of Supervisors on the work of the CEDAW Committee.

Role of CEDAW Committee:

• Provide a consistent focus on City and County of San Francisco implementation of local CEDAW Ordinance, ensuring that implementation reflects human rights principles.

   

• Evaluate the implementation of the strategies and priority areas established in the CEDAW Five Year Action Plan.

   

• Advocate for the resources necessary to fully implement the local CEDAW Ordinance and to successfully meet the goals established in the Five Year Action Plan.

   

• Actively support the Commission and Department on the Status of Women in fully integrating CEDAW into their mission, priorities and work.

   

• Provide connections between local CEDAW work and state, national and international work on CEDAW.

   

Membership:

• The Committee will have seven voting members and three non-voting "ex-officio" members.

   

• Committee members will be expected to have a commitment to the values and principles of CEDAW, and knowledge and experience in one or more of the following areas: human rights issues, education, employment/economics, violence against women, or health. Committee members will represent the public stakeholders, ensuring that implementation of the local CEDAW Ordinance positively impacts the lives of San Francisco women and girls.

   

• The seven voting members will include the President of the Commission on the Status or his/her designee and six at-large members.

   

• The six at-large members will be nominated by the CEDAW Task Force and appointed by COSW as follows: two members representing Mayor, two members representing President of the Board of Supervisors, and two members representing the Commission on the Status of Women.

   

• In addition to the seven voting members, there will be three non-voting ex-officio members. These members will not be included as committee members for the purposes of establishing quorum or voting. These members will include: the Mayor or his/her designee, the President of the Board of Supervisors or his/her designee, and the Executive Director of the Department on the Status of Women or his/her designee.

 

Current CEDAW Ordinance extended to June 30, 2003.....

12.K.4 (c) Five-year Citywide Action Plan. Provided sufficient funds are available, the Commission and the CEDAW Task Force shall jointly develop a five-year Citywide Action Plan. The Citywide Action Plan shall address how to integrate human rights principles into the City's operations, how to further implement the local principles of CEDAW as described in Section 12K.3, any and all deficiencies found in the gender analyses and the measures recommended to correct those deficiencies. The Commission and the CEDAW Task Force shall present the Action Plan to the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors on or before December 30, 2002. The Board of Supervisors Committee responsible for considering the City's budget shall hold a hearing to receive the Citywide Action Plan and public comment thereon. The Commission shall monitor the implementation of the Citywide Action Plan.