February 27, 2013

COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
5:00 PM
City Hall, Room 421
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Street
San Francisco, CA 94102

Members Present Staff Present
President Julie Soo Executive Director Emily M. Murase, PhD
Vice President Nancy Kirshner- Media & Community Affairs Director Aimee Allison
Rodriguez Outreach and Development Manager Stacey Hoang
Commissioner Alicia Gamez Policy Director Ann Lehman
Commissioner Kay Gulbengay Grants Administrator Carol Sacco
Commissioner Andrea Shorter Commission Secretary Cynthia Vasquez
Public Policy Fellow Elizabeth Laferriere
Department Fellow Lina Malova
Department Fellow Nancy Rock
Department Fellow Johanna Saenz
Department Volunteer Jane Bernard-Powers
Excused: Commissioner Becca Prowda
I. Welcome
President Julie Soo called the meeting to order at 5:13 pm. Commissioners reviewed the agenda.
Action: Approve amended agenda.
m/s/c (Kirshner-Rodriguez/Gulbengay/Unanimous)

II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Action: Approve minutes from January 23, 2013.
m/s/c (Kirshner-Rodriguez/Shorter/Unanimous)
No public comment.

III. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Dr. Emily Murase directed Commissioners to her written report. She reported that some of the Department staff was preparing for the Bay Area delegation to attend the Commission on the Status of Women conference and NGO Parallel Sessions that began March 3 which will be discussed later on the agenda.

Dr. Murase asked the Commissioners to hold the date of May 9 the SFCAHT 9th Sex Trafficking and Youth Conference to be held at the Federal Building in San Francisco. (Postponed to August 2)

Dr. Murase announced that Nicole Sower, a graduate student at Mills College who is volunteering with the Department, will be presenting her findings on STEM resources at a March 4 meeting of the Board of Education Curriculum Committee.

Dr. Murase announced that Policy Director Ann Lehman will be speaking at a February 28 conference of the Alliance for Girls, a consortium of girl-serving community-based agencies to present on The 2012 Update on Girls in San Francisco: A Decade of Success and Challenges.

Dr. Murase reported that on Thursday, February 14, the 15th anniversary of the Vagina Monologues, City leaders, community partners, and people from all over the City and Bay Area came together to take part in the global action One Billion Rising San Francisco City Hall. This global action focuses on women and their allies standing up against violence and dancing.

Dr. Murase reminded Commissioners that March is nationally recognized as Women’s History Month. Since 1996, the San Francisco Commission and Department on the Status of Women, in partnership with the Mayor and Board of Supervisors, celebrate this month with a public ceremony to recognize the contributions of women in the community who show exceptional vision, dedication and leadership. The 2013 theme is “Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics”. The event will be held on Tuesday, March 19, 3:30 PM at the Board of Supervisors Chambers, City Hall, Second Floor, followed by a reception, hosted by the Friends of the Commission, at the Public Utilities Commission Sustainable Headquarters, 525 Golden Gate Avenue.

Dr. Murase reported that she along, with 9 other members of the Japanese American Leadership Delegation, will be traveling to Japan March 8 – 16 as a guest of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss disaster recovery, citizen democracy, and women’s economic empowerment.

Finally, Dr. Murase announced that the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved President Chiu’s proposed legislation to increase domestic violence services in the city by over $600,000. This would add a Domestic Violence Policy Analyst position to our Department, increase funds to Partner Agencies providing legal services, and provide resources for public outreach on domestic violence resources.

Policy Fellow Elizabeth Ferriere reported on the new Gender Equality Challenge, scheduled to be launched on April 9, Equal Pay Day (date changed to April 15). This Gender Equality Principles Challenge will invite Bay Area companies to commit to sharing a model practice based on one of the seven principles. Participating companies will showcase metrics demonstrating the success of the model practice and share enough detail or accompanying materials on the practice to ensure its replicability.

IV. 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.
Action: To approve the Consent Agenda.
m/s/c (Gulbengay/Shorter/Unanimous)

A. Resolution Recognizing Women’s History Month Honorees
B. Resolution Recognizing Pioneering Female Wrestlers in San Francisco
C. Resolution Recognizing Gwendolyn Westbrook for African American Heritage Month
D. Resolution Recognizing Jenny Irwin Upon Her Retirement from the U.S. Department of Labor
E. Resolution Recognizing Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis
F. Resolution Recognizing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Jose Garista, Director of Athletics at International High School, introduced 3 members of the wrestling team Yuri Cruz, Marlene Martinez, and Tania Cruz. The girls introduced themselves. Senior Marilyn Martinez who arrived from Guatemala 3 years ago qualified for this year's state championships. After graduation, she plans to enroll in the civil engineering program at Santa Clara University.

Jenny Irwin thanked the Commission for the recognition, but added that her achievements as Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau for Region IX were the result of a strong collaboration with organizations like the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women. Vice President Kirshner-Rodriguez thanked Ms. Irwin for her great leadership.

V. NEW BUSINESS

A. Preview of UN Commission on the Status of Women Parallel Sessions
Aimee Allison, Media & Outreach Director, explained that, 2013 represents the fourth year in a row that the Department would be participating in the Parallel Sessions at the UN Commission on the Status of Women meetings in New York. She introduced the three panels that will be presented at the Parallel Sessions.

1. Partnership Models to End Violence Against Women
Dr. Jane Bernard-Powers presented an overview of the San Francisco Family Violence Council. She discussed the collaboration that accounts for the success of the San Francisco model. She thanked the many subject matter experts who assisted her in putting together her presentation.

2. Local Solutions to Global Human Trafficking
Policy Fellow Nancy Rock provided a summary of the panel featuring Policy Fellow Johanna Saenz, UN Women National Committee Board Member Stephanie Block, and Sabrina Fitranty, an Indonesian-speaking domestic violence victim advocate.

Ms. Rock discussed the development of California legislation SB 657 "Supply Chain Transparency," effective January 2012, which requires corporations of $100M in world-wide revenues (numbering 3200 in California) to disclose measures to ensure that supply chains are free from slave labor. According to the California Attorney General's Office, about half of these companies have complied so far, and about 25% are in process. Experts estimate that if the California legislation is replicated on a national level and expanded world-wide, slave labor can be eliminated from supply chains within just 5 years.

Policy Fellow Johanna Saenz reported on human trafficking and modern day slavery in Colombia. She explained that the country has endured civil wars for 50 years. Many children are forced to join the militia. A number of non-governmental organizations dedicated to addressing human trafficking are operating in Colombia. Ms. Saenz stated that she is looking forward to sharing this information with the audience of international delegates to the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

3. Microfinance and Gender Equality in the Business Sector
Policy Fellow Lina Malova delivered a presentation about her journey starting a business in her native country of Kenya. She introduced the concept of "merry-go-round", or sharing capital-raising and turn-taking investing. She and her 3 partners provided mutual loans to start a new jewelry business. Other women have invested in community water wells, purchased property and stocks. It is estimated that this concept has generated $1.1 billion in economic activity. Ms. Malova asked the audience to consider how individuals in the room could use the "merry-go-round" model.

Discussion focused on the new California law and the possibility of conducting an awareness campaign around the law and bringing attention to companies that are not in compliance. Commissioner Gulbengay asked whether there are enforcement measures in the law, and Ms. Rock responded that corporate financial information is publicly available. Commissioner Shorter asked that the trafficking presentation include reference to prison labor. Commissioner Kirshner-Rodriguez urged Ms. Rock to incorporate information about modern day slavery in San Francisco, including the groundbreaking San Francisco Sweat Free Ordinance, and the creation of San Francisco Collaboration Against Human Trafficking.

B. Tech Trek Summer Program, American Association of University Women
Roberta Guise, Co-Chair of Public Policy of the AAUW-San Francisco Chapter, made opening remarks. Cathy Corcoran, President of AAUW-San Francisco Chapter, explained that AAUW has been empowering women and girls since 1881, and she explained that the organization's mission matches closely that of the Commission and hopes that there can be a mutually supportive relationship.

Elaine Butler, Co-Chair of AAUW Tech Trek, reported that the Tech Trek program began locally in 1998 at Stanford. It is a one-week residential science program targeting middle school girls. All the girls are referred by middle school science teachers. Many are first-generation American. Campers are 100% financed by the organization. Michelle Mammini stated that over 150 girls have participated in the program, now held at Stanford, Mills College, Fresno State, Sonoma State.

Michelle Wong, a senior at Lowell High School, reported on her 2010 experience as a Tech Trek participant. She explained that, coming from a middle school that was not very academically- oriented, she found the experience of learning together with other bright young women so inspiring. Tech Trek changed her perspective on her academic studies and her life in general.

VI. Reports

A. Domestic Violence Supplemental Appropriation, Family Violence Council
The next meeting of the Family Violence Council will be held on May 15, 3-5 pm, Civic Center Courthouse, 400 McAllister, 6th Floor.

B. Human Trafficking
The Department will be meeting with the Mayor’s Office to discuss the work being done on human trafficking.

C. Health & Safety
President Soo reported that she continues to attend the Healthy San Francisco Meetings on behalf of the Commission and Department.

D. Justice & Courage
Commissioner Andrea Shorter reported that the next Justice & Courage meeting will take place on May 1.

E. Gender Equality Principles Initiative
Covered in earlier report.

F. Violence Against Women Prevention and Intervention Programs
None.

VII. PUBLIC COMMENT
Beverly Upton, Executive Director of the Domestic Violence Consortium, thanked the Commission and presented Commissioners with flowers on the occasion of Valentine's Day/V-Day. She also delivered appreciation cards from Partner Agencies.

Katherine Berg, Associate Director of La Casa de las Madres, thanked the Commission for its work.

Emberly Cross, Managing Attorney of the Cooperative Restraining Order Clinic, wished Commissioners and Department staff a Happy Valentine's Day.

Josie Lara made some suggestions for information Department staff may want to include in the UN presentations.

VIII. ADJOURNMENT
Adjourn the meeting in memoriam of Maggie Gee and Keiko Fukuda.
m/s/c (Shorter/Kirshner-Rodriguez/Unanimous)
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