EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

September 16, 2015

Each heading refers to a specific policy area as reflected in the Commission’s Strategic Plan.

I.          Policy Leadership & Outreach on the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Ordinance

A.         Women’s Intercultural Network: Beijing+20 Regional Call to Action

On September 12, I participated in this conference that brought together women leaders and their allies from throughout the San Francisco Bay Area region as a panelist on “Economic Development and Security for All Women,” together with Elmy Bermejo, Region IX Representatives of the U.S. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez, and Sudi Farokhnia of Union Banc. The keynote address was delivered by Liz Abzug, Founder/CEO of the Bella Abzug Leadership Institute, and the 2015 Circle of Courage Awardees were Esta Soler, Founder of Futures Without Violence, Patti Chang, former President of the Commission on the Status of Women, and Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White.

B.         Cities for CEDAW Campaign

The Department continues to support the Cities for CEDAW campaign, providing information, resources, and technical assistance to cities preparing to pass and implement a local CEDAW measure. Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Newman worked with staff at the City of Santa Monica to support a local CEDAW resolution, which the Santa Monica City Council passed unanimously on August 25, 2015. Santa Monica is the 9^th city, Miami-Dade City County the 10^th local jurisdiction to pass a measure implementing the principles of CEDAW at the local level, after San Francisco, Los Angeles, Berkeley, Oakland, Louisville, Kansas City, Daly City, and Cincinnati.

Dr. Soon-Young Yoon, President of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women – New York, has invited me to join a delegation of American women leaders to attend meetings of the U.S. Committee on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women the week of November 9. My role will be to discuss implementation of the 1998 San Francisco CEDAW Ordinance. This will be the first time American leaders will have an opportunity to brief CEDAW Committee Members on this work.

II.         Women’s Economic Empowerment

1. Legislation

1. Equal Pay Ordinance

The Department continues to monitor the development of data collection and implementation procedures of the Equal Pay Ordinance by the Equal Pay Advisory Board, which will report to the Board of Supervisors their recommendations in October.

B.         Gender Equitable Workplaces

1. Healthy Mothers Workplace Award for Excellence in Maternal Health and Equity

The Department supported the 2015 Healthy Mothers Workplace Awards Ceremony on September 14, 2015 as part of the Healthy Mothers Workplace Coalition. We received a Silver Award for our policy commitment to the health and equity of women in the workplace.

2. Gender Equality Challenge

The Department has launched the 2016 Gender Equality Challenge. The application to submit a model practice is available at GenderPrinciples.org, the deadline to submit is October 23, 2015. Ms. Newman and I will be coordinating partnerships and will inform the Commission of location, date, and time as soon as they are confirmed.

3. Women in Leadership Conference

Kelly Powers and Kevin Carroll of the Hotel Council invited the Department to partner on the Hotel Council’s Women Who Lead Conference, scheduled for March 4, 2016. Ms. Newman and I will work with their planning team on policy issues and keynote speakers to address the conference. We will also work with them on future programing related to women in the workplace.

III.        Women's Health & Safety

A.         Violence Against Women Prevention & Intervention (VAW) Grants Program

Our VAW Partner Agencies continue to provide comprehensive violence prevention services to the community in the following categories: Crisis Line, Intervention & Advocacy, Legal Services, Prevention and Education, Emergency Shelter Services, Transitional Housing, and Anti-Human Trafficking.

1. VAW Prevention and Intervention Grants Program

The VAW Program will allocate almost $5.75M to safety net services. Associate Director Carol Sacco will work with the Partner Agencies to have contract amendments and the additional funds encumbered and distributed by October 1.

The Department also received additional grant funds for violence prevention services for Filipina women and community building services for survivors of intimate partner violence in the LGBTQ community. An RFP was released August 10, and applications were due August 21. Review Panel and Funding Committee meetings met in early September. The Commission will be asked to vote on the funding recommendation at tonight’s Commission meeting.

2.         Citywide Non-Profit Monitoring and Capacity Building Program

The Citywide Non-Profit Monitoring and Capacity Building Program works with City departments to conduct fiscal and compliance monitoring site visits or self-assessments of City funded non-profit agencies. Earlier this month the Office of the Controller’s City Services Auditor Division issued a report documenting the work of the Citywide Nonprofit Monitoring and Capacity Building Program in FY14-15. Nine City departments jointly monitored 127 nonprofit contractors on fiscal, compliance and governance standards. Among monitored nonprofits, 48% had initial findings – a 5% decrease from last fiscal year. Contractors corrected 42% of these findings prior to the close of the monitoring cycle. The most common types of findings related to cost allocation procedures and fiscal policies and procedures. Eight contractors had more than five unresolved findings. Seven contractors had one or more unresolved findings repeated from last year. No contractor was placed on “Elevated Concern Status” this year. Four nonprofit contractors received technical assistance in FY15 and an additional seven participated in the Bayview Nonprofit Capacity Building Project.

The Citywide Non-Profit Monitoring and Capacity Building Program will kick-off in October for the FY 2015-2016 monitoring season.

B.         Programs and Policies

1.         Domestic Violence Liaisons Program with Human Resources

The Domestic Violence Liaison Program will be announced at the October 1 Domestic Violence Awareness Month event.  In total, 50 employees have volunteered from 25 different departments.  They will be trained to be a supportive presence in the workplace for co-workers who are experiencing domestic violence. Volunteer Domestic Violence Liaisons will receive a 3-hour training from community-based advocates in October that will be organized by the Department.

2. Request for Publication of Stalking Case

At the request of the District Attorney’s Office, the Department worked with our City Attorney’s office to draft a letter requesting publication of People v. Lopez, a criminal stalking case, which clarified what kinds of non-violent behavior can be considered stalking.

2. Human Trafficking

1. Mayor’s Task Force on Anti-Human Trafficking

The 2015 Report from the Mayor’s Task Force on Anti-Human Trafficking was released on August 31, and received coverage on the front page of the Chronicle, and in the Examiner, KQED Radio, KPFA Radio, and KCBS Radio. I want to recognize Women’s Policy Director Minouche Kandel for her dedicated efforts to produce the report.

With help from summer intern Sage Fanucchi-Funes, the Department developed a media guideline for city departments to consult before inviting media coverage of human trafficking investigations, inspections, or interviews with trafficking survivors.

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) Protocol at Family and Children’s Services:  Ms. Kandel has been working with Family & Children’s Services to develop an RFP for a round the clock advocate for commercially sexually exploited youth.  Funding for this position was obtained by the Department as a recommendation from the Mayor’s Task Force on Anti-Human Trafficking, and was work ordered to Family & Children’s Services so they could align the grant with the protocol they are developing.

Human Trafficking Policy at the San Francisco Unified School District:  On August 25, Director Murase, in her capacity as President of the Board of Education, introduced a resolution at the school board which would direct the District to update its policies to recognize that human trafficking is a form of child abuse, train staff at the School District in human trafficking, and engage student leaders in efforts to address trafficking. It is expected that the resolution will be reviewed by the Curriculum Committee on Monday, October 5 and voted on by the school board later in October. 

3. Family Violence Council

1. 2014 Report on Family Violence in San Francisco

On September 2, the Family Violence Council voted to approve the FY 2014 report.  Tonight, the Commission is requested to approve the final report, including recommendations.

IV.        Outreach

A.         Stories of the “Comfort Women”

At the invitation of the Filipina Women’s Network, I attended the August 27 performance of “The Eye Holds the Truth: ‘Comfort Women’ Stories” presented by Kazuko Yokoi of Imagine 21 from Japan. The actress interviewed and researched comfort women from all over Asia and will performed a dramatic presentation of their painful experiences. The event at the Main Library was well-attended and hosted by Judge (ret.) Julie Tang.

B.         Center for Youth Wellness

On September 10, I attended a strategic plan launch for the Center for Youth Wellness that, under the direction of Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris, serves as a one-stop shop for meeting the needs of children experiencing trauma and toxic stress.

C.         Friends of the Commission on the Status of Women

On August 31, I presented on the Commission and the Department at the orientation for new Friends Board members. Joining President Marily Mondejar, Vice President Marjan Philhour, and long-time board members Peg McAllister and Patricia Bovan are Lisa Adukia, Linda Calhoun, Faye Mellos, Valerie Ashford Hal, Louise McGinnis, Laurie Shakur, Kathleen Brownwell, and Karen McMillan. I hope you will have an opportunity to meet these exceptional women in the coming months.

V.         Department Budget & Administration

1. Public Policy Fellows

We are pleased to welcome our fall Public Policy Fellows. We are joined in the office by Sarah Hyde, a recent graduate from Azusa Pacific University with a BA in Social Work; Alana Rotti, a Master’s of Urban Affairs student at University of San Francisco; and Richa Dhanju, PhD, who will be the Family Friendly Workplace Ordinance Fellow. At the end of September we will be joined by two MSW students from UC Berkeley, Maria Tourtchaninova and Nicki Severson. We invite you to stop by the office and say hello.

B.         Staff Transitions

Our new Administrative Coordinator Herschell Larrick started at the Department on Monday, September 14. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Larrick.

The Fiscal Analyst position has been posted. The position is a full-time civil service appointment. The deadline to apply is 5 pm, Friday, September 25.

VI.        Calendar

Events organized by the Commission and Department are in italics. Events are in San Francisco unless otherwise noted.

Mon, Sept 28                        San Francisco Collaborative Against Human Trafficking General Meeting, 12 - 1:30 pm, Phillip Burton Federal Building, 450 Golden Gate Avenue

Thurs, Oct 1                           Domestic Violence Awareness Month Kickoff Event, 6 -7 pm, City Hall, Polk Street Steps

Mon, Oct 5                             CEDAW Women’s Human Rights Luncheon, 11:30 am  – 2 pm, Julia Morgan Ballroom, The Merchants Exchange Building, 465 California Street

Fri, Oct 16                               San Francisco Collaborative Against Human Trafficking Annual Conference: "Proven Strategies for Practitioners Combatting Human Trafficking," 8:30 am – 4:30 pm, Phillip Burton Federal Building, 450 Golden Gate Avenue

Wed, Oct 28                          Mayor’s Task Force on Anti-Human Trafficking General Meeting, 1:30 – 3:30 pm, City Hall Room 305 Commission Meeting, 4 – 6 pm, City Hall Room 408

Wed, Nov 18                         Family Violence Council Meeting, 3 – 5 pm, 400 McAllister Street, Room 617

Fri, Nov 20                              Commission Annual Planning Retreat, 9 am – 3 pm, location TBD

Wed, Dec 16                          Mayor’s Task Force on Anti-Human Trafficking General Meeting, 1:30 – 3:30 pm, City Hall Room 305 Commission Meeting, *3 – 5 pm*, Room 408

Thurs, Jan 21                        Women’s Policy Summit, 9 am – 5 pm, Sacramento Convention Center

Fri, Jan 22             California Women’s Conference 2016: Advocacy in Action presented by the Association California Commissions for Women (ACCW), tim