Issues & Resources
01
Gender In the Workplace & Employment
Gender equity in the workforce has remained a priority of Commission activity since it began its work in 1965. In July 2016, the Commission convened the California Pay Equity Task Force to provide a forum for diverse interests to engage in a dialogue that will encourage compliance with the California Fair Pay Act (SB 358 Jackson), and facilitate an informed understanding of the importance of gender equity in the workplace.
Gender Equity Resources
Equal Pay
Support Services & Advocacy
- California Labor Commissioner http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/
- California Pay Equity Task Force https://women.ca.gov/california-pay-equity-task-force
- California Department of Fair Employment and Housing http://www.dfeh.ca.gov/
- California Department of Industrial Relations http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/California_Equal_Pay_Act.htm
Resources & Research
- National Partnership for Women & Families – California Women and the Wage Gap http://www.nationalpartnership.org/research-library/workplace-fairness/fair-pay/4-2016-ca-wage-gap.pdf
- Discover income/pay rates for jobs you are interested in at http://labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/occguides/
- Learn how to negotiate for a fair wage at https://www.pon.harvard.edu/daily/negotiation-skills-daily/negotiation-skills-whats-the-best-process/
- List of occupations with median wages by gender http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat39.pdf
Paid Family Leave
Support Services & Advocacy
- Paid Family Leave Collaborative http://www.paidfamilyleave.org/
- National Partnership for Women & Families http://www.nationalpartnership.org/
- National Network for Women’s Employment http://www.womenwork.org/
- The Center for Research on Women & Families http://ccrwf.org/
- State of California Employment Development Department – Paid Family Leave http://www.edd.ca.gov/disability/paid_family_leave.htm
Resources & Research
- US Department of Labor – The Missing Conversation About Work and Family: Unique Challenges Facing Women of Color (2016)
- Learn about California’s paid family leave, discover if you’re eligible and how to apply: http://www.edd.ca.gov/pdf_pub_ctr/de8714cf.pdf
Child Care
Support Services & Advocacy
- California Department of Social Services- CalWORKs Child Care http://www.cdss.ca.gov/CalWORKS
- California Department of Education – Child Care and Development Programs http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/op/cdprograms.asp
- California Child Care Resource & Referral Network http://www.rrnetwork.org/
- Child Care Bureau http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccb
- Parent Voices http://parentvoices.org/
- Child Care Aware http://www.childcareaware.org/en/
- Child Care Law Center http://childcarelaw.org/
- Institute for Women’s Policy Research – Early Care and Education – https://iwpr.org/issue/work-family/child-care-early-education/
- National Women’s Law Center – California State Childcare Subsidy (2015)
- Child Care Resources: http://www.childcareresourcesinc.org/parents-families/publications/
02
Educational Needs
Women have made tremendous gains in education equality over the last several decades. In California, women hold 52% of all college degrees, including associate’s degrees, and 51% of all degrees at the baccalaureate level and higher. While more women than a man 25 years and older hold a bachelor’s degree, the presence of women varies by the field of study. Women across all age groups hold the majority of degrees in education and in the arts/humanities/other categories but continue to underperform in business and STEM.
Education Resources
California Public Education Resources
- California Department of Education http://cde.ca.gov/
- California Postsecondary Education Commission http://www.cpec.ca.gov/
- California Association for the Education of Young Children http://www.caeyc.org/
- Education Week — A national newspaper on education issues published weekly http://edweek.org/
- EdSource Online – An independent source of information on California public schools http://www.edsource.org/
- Ed-Data – Fiscal, demographic and performance data on California’s K-12 schools http://data.k12.wa.us/PublicDWP/Web/WashingtonWeb/Home.aspx
Higher Education
Support Services & Advocacy
- American Association of University Women http://www.aauw.org/
- University of San Diego Women in Higher Education Leadership Summit https://www.sandiego.edu/news/detail.php?_focus=57012
- California State University https://www2.calstate.edu/
- University of California https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/
- Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering, and Technology Development (CAWMSET) https://www.nsf.gov/od/cawmset/
- Educational Equity Center http://www.edequity.org/
- California Community College http://www.cccco.edu/
- National Education Association http://www.nea.org/
Resources & Research
- California Research Bureau –http://www.dof.ca.gov/programs/Education/Index_Innovation_Awards.html
Science, Technology Education & Mathematics (STEM)
Support Services & Advocacy
- California Department of Education Next Generation of Science Standards http://www.cde.ca.gov/pd/ca/sc/ngssintrod.asp
School Disciplinary Policies & Youth Justice
Support Services & Advocacy
- California Department of Education http://www.cde.ca.gov/
- Youth Justice Coalition http://www.youth4justice.org/
Resources & Research
- National Women’s Law Center- Let Her Learn: A Toolkit to Stop School Push Out for Girls of Color
- National Women’s Law Center – Pregnant and Parenting Students’ Rights Toolkit
- National Women’s Law Center and Poverty & Race Research Action Council- Finishing Line: Girls of Color and School Sports Opportunities
Sports
- Girls Leading Girls, San Francisco Based, Soccer https://www.girlsleadinggirls.org/
Title IX
Support Services & Advocacy
- CDE Gender Equity/ Title IX http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/di/eo/genequitytitleix.asp
- California Title IX Coalition Check List http://aauw-ca.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Title-IX-Check-List-FINAL.pdf
Resources & Research
- California Center for Research on Women and Families http://ccrwf.org/title-ix/
- Equal Rights Advocates http://www.equalrights.org/gender-equity-at-school-the-importance-of-title-ix/
- American Association of Equal Rights Advocates http://www.aauw-ca.org/category/public-policy/title-ix/
03
Healthy & Safety
The needs of women and girls in California are as diverse as we are. Women and girls are the populations most at risk of domestic violence, sexually exploitation as minors, and of teen dating violence. In California, a reported 2 million females have been sexually assaulted, while an additional 8.6 million have experienced another form of violence. California women are more likely than men to seek mental health care for serious psychological distress. Elder care in California needs to improve to meet the demands of our aging women who have longer life expectancies than their counterparts across the country.
Wellness Resources
The following Sexual Assault Service 24 hour hotlines can provide support and referrals. Call whenever you feel you need do talk and significant others and relatives are encouraged to call to learn how to support a survivor:
- National Sexual Assault 24/7 Hotline 800-656-HOPE
- National Sexual assault Online Hotline https://www.rainn.org/about-national-sexual-assault-telephone-hotline
- WEAVE 24-hour Support & Information Line 916-920-2952 | 866-920-2952 (Toll Free) | 916-433-3715 (TDD)
- Empower Yolo 24/7 Crisis Line 530-662-1133 or 916-371-1907
- My Sister’s House 24-hour Multi-Lingual Helpline 916-428-3271
- Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Crisis Center (Woodland) 24/7 Hotline 530-662-1133 or 916-317-1907
- The Center for Violence-free Relationships http://thecenternow.org/
- National Domestic Violence Hotline http://www.thehotline.org/ Call 1-800- 799-7233 | 1-800- 787-3224 (TTY)
- Call 1-866- 331-9474, text “loveis” to 22522, or chat on http://www.loveisrespect.org/
- Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking 888-key- 2-free(888- 539-2373)
- Alliance Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault Toll Free: (800) 273-7713
- LGBTQ Hotline: (661) 322-2869
- 24-Hour Crisis Hotline: (661) 327-1091 http://kernalliance.org/get-help/
- National Human Trafficking Hotline 1-888- 373-7888 TTY: 711 https://humantraffickinghotline.org/
- Community Beyond Violence (Grass Valley) (530) 272-3467
- North County Rape Crisis and Child Protection Center 805-736- 7273 http://www.sbcountyrapecrisis.org/home.html
- Rape Crisis (Butte, Glenn and Tehama counties) 342-RAPE (7273) http://www.rapecrisis.org/
- Verity (Santa Rosa) (707) 545- 7273 http://www.ourverity.org/services/
- YWCA Silicon Valley 1(800)572-2782 http://ywca-sv.org/our- services/
Aging
Support Services & Advocacy
- California Commission on Aging http://www.ccoa.ca.gov/
- California Department of Aging https://www.aging.ca.gov/
- Aging, Women and Poverty in California http://www.ccoa.ca.gov/Initiatives/AgingWomenAndPoverty/
Children
Support Services & Advocacy
- First Five California http://www.ccfc.ca.gov/
Disability
Support Services & Advocacy
- California Commission on Disability Access http://www.ccda.ca.gov/
- California Department of Developmental Services http://www.dds.ca.gov/
- State Council on Developmental Disabilities http://www.scdd.ca.gov/
Domestic Violence
Support Services & Agencies
- Women Escaping A Violent Environment http://www.weaveinc.org/
- Safe at Home – Address Confidentiality for Domestic Violence Victims http://www.sos.ca.gov/registries/safe-home/
- Family Violence Center http://www.fvlc.org/
- California Partnership to End Domestic Violence http://cpedv.org/
- National Coalition Against Domestic Violence http://www.ncadv.org/
- Human Options http://humanoptions.org/
Families
See if you are eligible for Family PACT, a family planning program for men and women http://www.familypact.org/Home/home-page
Health & Wellness
Support Services & Agencies
- California Black Women’s Health Network http://www.cabwhp.org/
- California Department of Public Health – Women’s Health https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OHE/Pages/Womens_Landing_Page.aspx
- California Pan-Ethnic Health Network http://cpehn.org/
- California Family Health Council http://www.cfhc.org
- National Breast Cancer Foundation http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/index16.htm
- The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists http://www.acog.org
- St James Infirmary http://stjamesinfirmary.org
Resources & Research
- LA County Department of Public Health: Health Indicators for Women in LA County http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/owh/docs/DataReport/2017-HealthIndicatorsforWomeninLACounty.pdf
Mental Health
Support Services & Advocacy
- Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission http://www.mhsoac.ca.gov/
Reproductive Health
Support Services & Agencies
- ACCESS: Women’s Health Justice http://accesswhj.org/
- California Latina’s For Reproductive Justice http://www.californialatinas.org/
- Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California http://www.ppactionca.org/
- Planned Parenthood http://www.plannedparenthood.org
Resources & Research
- Discover educational material about birth control, sexually transmitted infections, intimate partner violence and more: http://www.familypact.org/Resources/client-education-materials/published-client-education-materials
- Learn about birth control methods: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control
- What should I teach my high school-aged teen about sex and sexuality? https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/parents/high-school/what-should-i-teach-my-high-school-aged-teen-about-sex-and-sexua
- Under California Law, women, men and minors have access to confidential medical services including sexual and reproductive health care: http://www.essentialaccess.org/advocacy/policy-priorities/confidentiality
- All-Options Pregnancy Resource Center: https://www.all-options.org/
- Reproductive Justice Media Reference Guide: http://strongfamiliesmovement.org/assets/files/rj-media-guide.pdf
Sexual Assault
Support Services & Agencies
- National Sexual Violence Resource Center http://www.nsvrc.org/
- Bay Area Women Against Rape http://www.bawar.org/
- Rape Trauma Services http://rapetraumaservices.org/
Other related state agencies
- California Department of Health Care Services http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/Pages/default.aspx
- California Health and Human Services Agency http://www.chhs.ca.gov/Pages/Home.aspx
- California Health Benefit Exchange http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/Pages/default.aspx
- California Department of Managed Health Care http://www.dmhc.ca.gov/
- California Department of Public Health https://www.cdph.ca.gov/
- California Department of Social Services http://www.cdss.ca.gov/
04
Women Veterans & Families
The Commission has partnered with the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) to bring visibility to the number of women veterans in California and their role in protecting our nation’s security. While California has one of the largest populations of women veterans in the country, women veterans often do not develop relationships with their local veteran services. Thus, women veterans continue to go without with benefits they are entitled to adding to their higher rates of poverty. In 2014, the Commission partnered with CalVet to create the California Women Veterans Outreach Toolkit to help local veteran’s affairs offices reach out to women veterans.
Veteran Resources
Support Services & Advocacy
- Veterans Crisis Line (1-800-273-8255 and Press 1 https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/
- CalVet Women Veterans Roster https://www.calvet.ca.gov/WomenVets/Pages/Women-Veterans-Roster.aspx
- County Veteran Service Locator https://www.calvet.ca.gov/vetservices/pages/county-veteran-service-organization.aspx
- CalVet Military Sexual Assault https://www.calvet.ca.gov/WomenVets/Pages/Military-Sexual-Assault.aspx
- US Department of Veteran Affairs Center for Women Veterans www.va.gov/womenvets
- US Department of Veteran Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration www.benefits.va.gov
- US Department of Veteran Affairs Women Veterans Health Care www.womenshealth.va.gov
Resources & Research
- California Women Veterans Outreach Toolkit http://www.csusm.edu/veterans/documents/Outreach-Toolkit_FINAL-2014.pdf
- California Women’s Law Center http://www.cwlc.org/
05
Civil & Political Rights
While California laws have some of the most comprehensive civil rights protections in the nation, there are still issues regarding race, gender, sexual orientation and immigration status that still need to be addressed. Better data collection by gender, disability, ethnicity, etc., would result in improved services in health care, education, and employment to specific groups, including Native American, LGBTQ, and immigrants. While other nations and many local government organizations have adopted the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the US and California have not yet done so. Those laws addressing equality have made great differences for women and their families, but current implementation of equality laws is not always consistent.
State Laws & Resources
Community Development
Support Services & Advocacy
- California Department of Community Services and Development http://www.csd.ca.gov/default.aspx
- California Department of Housing & Community Development http://www.hcd.ca.gov/
- California Volunteers http://www.californiavolunteers.org/index.php
- People Organizing to Demand Environmental and Economic Justice http://www.podersf.org/
- Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles http://www.chirla.org/
- South Asian Helpline and Referral Network http://www.saharacares.org/
- Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice http://www.laclj.org/
- Asian Pacific Environmental Network http://apen4ej.org/
- Leadership Counsel for Justice Accountability http://www.leadershipcounsel.org/
- Physicians for Social Responsibility http://www.psr-la.org/
Child Support
Support Services & Advocacy
- California Department of Child Support Services http://www.childsup.ca.gov/
Civil Rights
Support Services & Advocacy
- American Civil Liberties Union of California https://www.acluca.org/
- ACLU of Northern California https://www.aclunc.org/
- ACLU of Southern California https://www.aclusocal.org/
- ACLU of San Diego https://www.aclusandiego.org/
Incarceration
Support Services & Advocacy
- California Coalition for Battered Women in Prison http://freebatteredwomen.org
- California Coalition for Women Prisoners http://www.womenprisoners.org
- Legal Services for Prisoners with Children http://www.prisonerswithchildren.org/
- A New Way of Life Reentry Project http://www.anewwayoflife.org/
Research & Research
- The African American Policy Forum – #SayHerName: Resisting Police Brutality Against Black Women http://www.aapf.org/sayhernamereport/
- Juvenile Injustice: Charging Youth as Adults is Ineffective, Biased, and Harmful http://www.humanimpact.org/wp-content/uploads/HIP_JuvenileInJusticeReport_2017.02.pdf
Judicial
Support Services & Advocacy
- California Courts http://www.courts.ca.gov/
Local Gov’t – County & City
Support Services & Advocacy
- California State Association of Counties http://www.counties.org/
LGBT
Support Services & Advocacy
- Transgender, Gender Variant & Intersex Justice Project http://www.tgijp.org/
- Transgender Law Center https://transgenderlawcenter.org
- Western Regional Advocacy Project http://wraphome.org/
Representation in Gov’t
Support Services & Advocacy
- California Legislative Women’s Caucus http://womenscaucus.legislature.ca.gov/
Resources & Research
- Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/state-by-state
- Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/women-state-legislature-2017
06
Gender Equity in Media
Representation of women in the media has become more diverse, granting a range of women from various backgrounds to explore new roles and professionals than before. While gains have been made there are still negative impacts of gender stereotyping impacting women and girls today and women continue to be underrepresented both onscreen and off-screen. Media promotions of traditional eurocentric beauty standards results in distorted images of women’s bodies that cause self-esteem and body issues for young women and girls. The lack of representation of women in roles traditionally assumed for women limits girls imagination of what they can achieve. Former commissioner Geena Davis started the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media to advocate for gender equity in the media.
Gender Equity in Media Resources
Resources & Research
- Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media https://seejane.org/
- Canada’s Center for Digital and Media Literacy – Media Smarts http://mediasmarts.ca/gender-representation/women-and-girls/media-portrayals-girls-and-women-introduction
- USC Annenberg – The Critical Media Project http://www.criticalmediaproject.org/resources/useful-links/
- Just Say Yes – Youth Equipped to Succeed https://www.justsayyes.org/topics/self-image-media-influences/
- Anti-Defamation League – Stereotypes of Girls and Women in the Media Classroom Worksheet, Grades 6-12 http://www.adl.org/assets/pdf/education-outreach/stereotypes-of-girls-and-women-in-the-media.pdf
07
Women's Economic Security
Women in California are more likely than men to live in poverty and to live in extreme poverty. Single mothers are most likely to live in poverty. At least one in four Latinas and African-American women who reside in California live in poverty. While women have made educational gains they continue to earn less than men in every occupational cluster. Poverty is known to have detrimental impacts on child development and future educational and careers success. As more women become the primary breadwinners of their families these inequities must addressed to create healthier and happier communities in California.
Social Attitudes & Economic Considerations
Support Services & Advocacy
- California National Organization of Women (CANOW) http://canow.org/
- California Women Lead http://www.cawomenlead.org/
- California Women’s Leadership Association http://www.cwla.us/
- California Women’s Law Center http://www.cwlc.org/
- California Women Lawyers http://www.cwl.org/
- Leadership California http://www.leadershipcalifornia.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1
- She Shares http://www.sheshares.net/
- The Center for Research on Women & Families http://ccrwf.org/
- Mujeres Unidas Y Activas http://mujeresunidas.net/
- Equal Rights Advocates http://www.equalrights.org/
- Western Center on Law & Poverty http://www.wclp.org
Women & Girls Empowerment
- ACT for Women and Girls http://www.actforwomenandgirls.org/
08
Elected Officials & Commissions
Find Your Representative
- California Legislature http://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/
- US House of Representatives http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
- US Senate, Contact Your Representatives https://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/
California Women's Commissions
- City of Glendale
- City of Los Angeles
- City of Pasadena
- City and County of San Francisco
- City of Santa Monica
- City of West Hollywood
- Alameda County
- Contra Costa County
- Los Angeles County
- Marin County
- Riverside County
- San Diego County
- San Luis Obispo County
- San Mateo County
- Santa Barbara County
- Santa Clara County
- Sonoma County
09
Legal Services
Local Services
- LawHelpCA.org http://lawhelpca.org/
- Legal Services of Northern California https://lsnc.net/
- Central California Legal Services, Inc. http://centralcallegal.org/
- California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation http://www.crlaf.org/
- East Bay Community Law Center http://ebclc.org/
- Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto http://www.clsepa.org/
- Legal Aid Society of Orange County and Community Legal Services of Southeast Los Angeles http://www.legal-aid.com/