2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
City and County of San Francisco
Minutes
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
5:00 PM
Chinatown Branch Library
1135 Powell Street @ Jackson
San Francisco, CA 94108
Public comment will be heard before and/or during each agenda item.
Members Present Staff Present
President Andrea Shorter Executive Director Emily Murase
Vice President Angela Williams Executive Assistant Bernice Casey
Commissioner Andrea Evans Secretary Richard Eijima
Commissioner Jing Xu Lee Policy Analyst Carol Sacco
Commissioner Carolene Marks
Commissioner Katherine Munter
- CALL TO ORDER/ AGENDA CHANGES
Commissioner Marks called the meeting to order at 5:12 PM.
President Shorter arrived at 5:36 PM.
Vice President Williams arrived at 6:00 PM.
Commissioner Keehn was excused.
No public comment.
Action: Adopted minutes for COSW Meeting, April 27, 2005 .
m/s/c (Munter/Evans/Unanimous)
Action: Adopted minutes for COSW Meeting, May 5, 2005 .
m/s/c (Munter/Lee/Unanimous)
No public comment.
3. PRESIDENT’S REPORT
The President’s Report was waived.
No public comment.
4. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT
- Executive Director’s Report
Executive Director Emily Murase reviewed her Executive Director’s Report. She recognized the work of Department staff in putting on the May 17 CĂPICIDAD: Building Capacity Workshop 2005 for Partner Agencies. Ms. Murase recognized visiting San Diego Commission on the Status of Women Commissioner Morgan McDaniel. Ms. Murase referred the Commissioners to their Commission packet for a full report.
- Staff Policy Report
Acting Policy Analyst Bernice Casey directed the Commissioners to their Commission packet for her staff report on Women’s Health.
- Community Youth Center (CYC)
Ami Komoto, Young Asian Women Against Violence Peer Leader Advisor, discussed the programs CYC currently has in the San Francisco public schools. The young peer leaders discuss dating violence and facilitate group workshops. The program has also put out two anti-harassment Public Service Announcements targeting youth. Ms. Komoto asked one of the Peer Leaders, Betty, to speak. Betty said her work with Young Asian Women Against Violence made her feel more involved in the community. She enjoyed meeting other people through her CYC-led activities, including website designing and rock climbing. Betty said that her work helped her better understand community problems.
No public comment.
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.
5. CONSENT AGENDA
Action: Approved Consent Agenda.
m/s/c (Munter/Evans/Unanimous)
No public comment.
a. The Commission sent a letter to Governor Schwarzenegger regarding his comments on immigration and border control.
- The Commission sent a letter to Assemblymember Sally Lieber in support of AB 22, Human Trafficking, which establishes the trafficking of adults and minors as a felony crime.
- The Commission sent a letter to Senator Sheila Kuehl in support of SB 840, the California Health Insurance Reliability Act, which would provide affordable and reliable health insurance coverage to all Californians.
6. NEW BUSINESS DISCUSSION/ACTION
a. The Standing Against Global Exploitation (SAGE) Project
Ms. Norma Hotaling provided an overview of the work SAGE, with an emphasis of the work done in San Francisco to combat trafficking in the sex industry. Ms. Hotaling talked about her work with other non-government organizations (NGOs) in the area of trafficking. She discussed the work currently being done to get trafficked victims government benefits, including special visa status. She talked about the rescue of 12 Korean women from a licensed massage parlor. She said 8 of the women were receiving benefits, such as ESL classes and vocational training.
Executive Director Murase recognized Ms. Hotaling’s instrumental work towards establishing a six-bed residential center, the first in the nation, which acts as a safe house for girls who have been exploited in the sex industry.
b. Profiles of Agencies Providing Services to Immigrant and Asian Pacific Islander Communities
Partner Agencies and community agencies discussed the work they are doing in providing services and outreach to immigrant communities.
Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach (APILO)
Karitha Sreeharsha, a staff attorney with APILO, discussed local state legislation on trafficking, AB 22, and talked about the work of APILO. API has 20 staff, of which 9 are attorneys, which speaks 15 languages. APILO identifies needs in immigrant communities and works with the community to meet those needs. At times, APILO provides the only support system to new immigrants seeking services.
Commissioner Lee asked how many people [immigrants] API served [in a fiscal cycle].
Ms. Sreeharsha said that APILO served 500 Asian immigrants, some of whom were very isolated in their community.
Executive Director Murase asked how the Commission and the Department could help APILO.
Ms. Sreeharsha said that outreach was needed to continue services to help increase awareness about anti-violence programs in the City.
Asian Perinatal Advocates
Executive Director Mai-Mai Ho discussed her organization’s work and outreach to immigrant communities. Ms. Ho explained that the make-up of their domestic violence case load is 25% Chinese and 50% Filipino. Ms. Ho talked about the partnerships Asian Perinatal Advocates has developed in the Chinese, Laotian, Cambodian, Filipino, and Samoan communities. The home visit program addresses two important issues: breaking the cycle of violence and building self-esteem. The home visits continue for a year and utilize a culturally accepted model for each community. Asian Perinatal Advocates’ educational and outreach component encompasses efforts at street fairs, festivals, in temples and in workshops.
Visie Malanes, a Filipina partner to Asian Perinatal Advocates, discussed a broader safety program, encompassing intervention, shelter, safety planning, and services such as SFWAR’s self-defense classes.
Asian Women’s Shelter(AWS)
Executive Director Beckie Masaki discussed her organization’s work and outreach to immigrant communities. Ms. Masaki began by talking about the clients AWS serves: 95% are immigrant women and 85% don’t speak English. AWS has a 24/7 shelter for women and children; provides crisis services, and queer Asian women services; and works with other NGOs collaboratively in the areas of anti-trafficking and Asian women’s domestic violence prevention. Ms. Masaki said that outreach was a way to build a diverse community and to end domestic violence by engaging the community.
Silvia Sweiden of AWS discussed the work she did within the Arab immigrant community.
Jee Suthamwanthanee of AWS talked about the multilingual model employed at AWS and its impact on communities. Specifically, she talked about the work she had done in Thai temples to educate people about domestic violence.
Geene Gonzales of AWS discussed the strategies utilized for queer and transgender Asian women in the area of violence.
President Shorter thanked AWS for their presentation.
Donaldina Cameron House
Executive Director Doreen Der-McLeod discussed her organization’s work and outreach to immigrant communities. Ms. Der-McLeod talked about the history of Donaldina Cameron House which began in 1874. Ms. Der-McLeod discussed the services they provide such as counseling for marriage, personal well-being, gambling, as well as case management, and programs for children who have witnessed violence in their home. Donaldina Cameron House also has employment and outreach components and works in collaboration with AADV (Asian Alliance Against Domestic Violence). Together with AADV, Donaldina Cameron House held a press conference on elder abuse and domestic violence. Ms. Der-McLeod discussed work doing faith-based outreach in the Bay Area.
President Shorter asked what type of challenges [Donaldina Cameron House] faced in working with the faith based communities.
Ms. Der-McLeod said that there is sometimes resistance because of NIMBY (not in my back yard). She said that Donaldina Cameron House has the ability to offer language assistance and educational outreach.
Gum Moon Women’s Residence
Executive Director Gloria Tan discussed her organization’s work and outreach to immigrant
communities. Ms. Tan talked about the 136 year history of Gum Moon and its origins. Gum Moon provides housing for women. Currently, they have 30 women of which 1/3 are domestic violence survivors. The services
focus on Asian immigrants, with an emphasis on culturally appropriate models. In addition to housing, Gum Moon offers many other programs, from ESL classes to employment services.
Commission Munter asked how long women generally stay at the residence.
Ms. Tan said that the average stay is from 18-24 months, after which clients move on to permanent housing.
Commissioner Lee asked how long women could stay and where they went next.
Ms. Tan said that some women stay as long as three years. Clients are encouraged to pair up as roommates when trying to locate permanent housing.
Commission Marks asked what type of training is provided to help women become self-sufficient.
Ms. Tan said that Gum Moon offers ESL classes, computer classes, and job classes. This year Gum Moon will start financial education workshops.
Chinatown Public Health
Ms. Lei-Chun Fung from the Department of Public Health’s Chinatown Clinic gave an overview of the nine community clinics in San Francisco and discussed Chinatown Clinic’s work in form of services and outreach to immigrant communities. At the Chinatown Clinic, the following services are provided: primary care, prenatal care, family planning, breast cancer, diabetes, eye check [mobile van that comes once a week], and children with disabilities. Ms. Fung said that the clinic was facing a 20% budget reduction. Ms. Fung said that each of the nine community clinics provide community-oriented care. She said that there was [in some communities] a deep-seated stigma associated with cancer. The community clinics which are able to provide a continuum of care are threaten with budget cuts.
A patient at the Chinatown Clinic shared her story. She said that she had breast cancer and was discriminated against by her husband’s family. She received help from the Chinatown Clinic’s cancer unit.
Commissioner Marks thanked Ms. Fung and the patient who had come forward. She thanked the patient for her sharing her story and acknowledged her courage. She asked Ms. Fung if the cancer services that were provided addressed the exam needs of disabled women.
Ms. Fung said that currently there are not specific services.
Chinese for Affirmative Action
Policy Director Luna Yasui discussed the work of her organization and its impact on women, especially immigrant women. Ms. Yasui talked about three policy areas: 1) jobs for women in non-traditional areas such as construction, trade, and civil services; 2) locating work for and retraining of former garment workers; and 3) neighborhood work in high-need areas such as Visitation Valley.
Executive Director Murase talked the childcare provider training program offered by the City at no cost and asked Ms. Yasui to contact her if she had questions about the program.
Chinese Newcomers Service Center
Executive Director Julia Ling discussed the work of her organization and its impact on immigrant women in the areas of job training. Ms. Ling said that the Service Center had been providing services for 35 years. The Service Center offers services to immigrants and limited English in the areas of employment, job readiness, and literacy. When the Levi Straus San Francisco plant in San Francisco laid off workers in 2000, 100 women lost their jobs and only 20% have been placed.
League of Women Voters of San Francisco
Ms. Judy Sanford discussed the work of her organization and its impact on women’s political and civic participation. The League of Women Voters has been around for 80 years. It helps citizens be more active in their government and at its core are voter services. She encouraged people to go to www.smartvoter.org to learn more about voting in their local, state, and federal elections.
NICOS Chinese Health Coalition
Executive Director Kent Woo discussed the work his organization does and its impact on women’s health. Mr. Woo said the mission of NICOS is enhancing health and well-being in the Chinese community through advocacy, research, and coalition building. He said there were 152,000 Chinese in San Francisco, which is 20% of the overall population: 70% are foreign-born, 23% are non-American, 42% of adults are limited English speakers, and 20% earn $15,000 or less annually. Mr. Woo discussed health issues in the Chinese community. When the overall population has 0.1% Hepatitis B infection rate the Chinese community has a 10% infection rate. He also discussed the Gambling Project.
Commissioner Evans left at 7:02 PM.
Vietnamese Youth Development Center
Executive Director Maria Su discussed the work her organization does and its impact on women and girls. She gave an overview of the history of her organization which started in 1979. Ms. Su said that the organization served all Southeast Asians, including Cambodians, Thais, and Laotians. Their clients are primarily adolescents and they serve ages 11-21. The Vietnamese Youth Development Center has a leadership program, a juvenile justice youth awareness component, job placement, and prevention services in the areas of substance abuse, truancy, and violence, and a research development component. Ms. Su said they also have programs for parents which teach parents how to advocate for their children.
President Shorter thanked everyone for their presentations and encouraged the Commission to continue these discussions.
Public Comment
Nina Jusuf, from SFWAR, talked about the work her organization does for immigrant women. SFWAR makes services available in many languages. Ms. Jusuf said that some women can barely talk about sexual violence and that SFWAR provides a safe place for women have a place to talk. She talked about the self-defense courses SFWAR has sponsored in the Filipino community as well as a course for mother and daughters.
c. Human Rights Campaign Krishanti Dharmaraj
Ms. Dharmaraj was not present. The item was moved to the June Commission meeting.
No public comment.
7. OLD BUSINESS
a. Report on the Labor Conditions of Exotic Dancers
Commission Munter said that she had spoken with Deputy City Attorney Dorji Roberts and that he would come
before the Commission with draft code language.
Acting Policy Analyst Bernice Casey gave an overview of the work of the Department and talked about changes that have been drafted by the Department and the Sex Workers Union and submitted to Deputy City Attorney Dorji Roberts.
Public Comment.
Michael Polysunki, a member of the public, informed the Commission that he had a web-site, www.exoticdancerslib.com, which detailed information on the exploitation of exotic dancers.
President Shorter informed Mr. Polysunki that he had one minute for public comment.
Mr. Polysunki said that the City of San Francisco had not responded to the issues that had been brought to it. He said that he was in the process of writing a book about the abuse of exotic dancers in San Francisco. He urged people to call the Bay Area Corruption Hotline at 1.800.376.5991, when appropriate.
President Shorter informed Mr. Polysunki that his time was up.
Mr. Polysunki closed by saying that his website and story would be going out nationally and that the last 7 ½ years will be one of the biggest embarrassments [for the City of San Francisco ].
Daisy Anarchy, Sex Workers Organized for Labor, Human, & Civil Rights, thanked the Commission and the Department for their hard work in this area.
8. REPORTS DISCUSSION
a. Justice & Courage
Report was postponed to the June Commission meeting.
- CEDAW Committee
Commissioner Williams said that due to scheduling and staff limitations the last two CEDAW Committee meetings had been canceled.
President Shorter thanked Commissioner Lee for her work in hosting the community meeting.
Commissioner Lee thanked President Shorter, Vice President Williams, and Commissioner Marks for their assistance.
No public comment.
9. PUBLIC COMMENT
Beverly Upton, from the DV Consortium, asked members of the public and Commission to attend the June 23, 2005 Board of Supervisors Budget Hearing and to fight the budget cuts imposed on the Department.
President Shorter adjourned the meeting at 7:25 PM.
No public comment.
American Sign Language interpreters and a Sound Amplification System provided upon request with 48-hour advance notice to 415-252-2570. Translation into languages other than English is also available with 48-hour notice. Limited accessible street parking available. Accessible MUNI Metro station in the Powell and lines are J, K, L, M and N. Accessible MUNI Lines are the 30 and 45. Accessible seating for persons with disabilities (including those using wheelchairs) will be available. Meeting proceedings available in alternative formats. In order to assist the City's efforts to accommodate persons with severe allergies, environmental illness, multiple chemical sensitivity or related disabilities, attendees at public meetings are reminded that other attendees may be sensitive to various chemical based products. Please help the City to accommodate these individuals. To obtain a disability-related modification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services, to participate in the meeting, please contact the Department on the Status of Women at least two business days before the meeting at 415-252-2570 (Voice) or 415-252-2550 (TTD). The Board of Supervisors has amended the Sunshine Ordinance by adding provision 67A.1. The provision is effective as of January 21, 2001.
The ringing of and use of cell phones, pagers, and similar sound producing electronic devices are prohibited at this meeting. Please be advised that the Chair may order the removal from the meeting room of any person(s) responsible for the ringing or use of a cell phone, pager or other similar sound-producing electronic devices.
Explanatory documents: For copies of explanatory documents listed in this agenda, and other related materials received by COSW, please contact the Department on the Status of Women at 25 Van Ness Ave, Suite 130, San Francisco, CA 94102; phone: 415-252-2570, fax: 415-252-2575. Also, to the extent possible, documents will be available on the COSW website at http://www.sfgov.org/cosw.
Know Your Rights under the Sunshine Ordinance
(Chapter 67 of the San Francisco Administrative Code)
Government’s duty is to serve the public, reaching its decision in full view of the public. Commissions, boards, councils and other agencies of the City and County exist to conduct the people’s business. This ordinance assures that deliberations are conducted before the people and that City operations are open to the people’s review. For more information on your rights under the Sunshine Ordinance, or to report a violation of the Ordinance, contact the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force at 415-554-7724. To obtain a free copy of the Sunshine Ordinance contact the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force, City Hall, Room 244, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102-4689, phone: 415-554-7724, fax: 415-554-7854. Copies of the Sunshine Ordinance can also be obtained from the San Francisco Public Library and on the City’s website at www.sfgov.org.
Attention: Individuals and entities that influence or attempt to influence local legislative or administrative action may be required by the San Francisco Lobbyist Ordinance (SF Campaign & Governmental Conduct Code § 2.100 – 2.160) to register and report lobbying activity. For more information about the Lobbyist Ordinance, please contact the San Francisco Ethics Commission at 30 Van Ness Ave., Suite 3900, San Francisco, CA 94102; phone: 415-581-2300, fax: 415-581-2317 and web site http://www.sfgov.org/ethics.
Lobbyist Registration and Reporting Requirements
Individuals and entities that influence or attempt to influence local legislative or administrative action may be required by the San Francisco Lobbyist Ordinance [SF Campaign & Governmental Conduct Code § 2.100] to register and report lobbying activity. For more information about the Lobbyist Ordinance, please contact the San Francisco Ethics Commission at 30 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 3900, San Francisco, CA 94102; telephone (415) 581-2300; fax (415) 581-2317; web site: sfgov.org/ethics.
