Newsroom

Welcome to the place to find all press releases, events, and resources on what’s happening at the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls.

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News

Check out what’s happening in the CCSWG community and across the state.

Events

Explore our network through attending CCWSG events all across the state

Archives

Access announcements, articles, and news from as far back as 2019

Hammy Awards

CCSWG was honored to receive a Hammy Award from our partners at Habitat for Humanity Greater Sacramento in honor of our contributions and sponsorship of the 2023 Women Build Month.

AWARDS: The California Blueprint For Women’s Pandemic Economic Recovery

The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls was named the winner of a Gold Stevie® Award in the Category: Best White Paper or Research Report for the California Blueprint for Women’s Pandemic Economic Recovery. 

AWARDS: California Blueprint For Women’s Pandemic Economic Recovery

The Commission was named a winner of a Silver Stevie® Award in the category of Thought Leadership Campaign of the Year – Government or Non-Profit category for the California Blueprint for Women’s Pandemic Economic Recovery in the 21st Annual American Business Awards®.

MSMU Report on the Status of Women and Girls Release

On March 22, 2023 more than 500 leaders joined together at the Skirball Cultural Center for the annual MSMU Report on the Status of Women and Girls in California. CCSWG Executive Director Holly Martinez spoke at the event. 

CCSWG is the 2023 Presenting Sponsor for H4H Women Build

Women Build brings together women in our community from all backgrounds, ages, skill sets and industries to make a difference with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento by helping build and repair greatly needed affordable housing in the Sacramento region. 

CCSWG Public Hearings

The CCSWG organized two public hearings on June 27th in conjunction with a scheduled full Commission meeting, offering the opportunity for SMEs on the two broad topics of Workplace Harassment/Violence and Reproductive Access. 

Pandemic Recovery

The Commission is facilitating a statewide Women’s Recovery Response grant program and building a blueprint for women’s economic recovery from the impacts of. Please click below to learn more about this program and our grantees.

Recent Events

The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls was honored to join the California Donor Table for a luncheon sponsored by California Donor Table (CDT) to help donors understand complex issues impacting women in California politics. 

2023 Habitat of Greater Sacramento Women Build

On #internationalwomensday some of the most incredible women leaders we know including First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and members of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, including Majority Leader Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes, Assemblymember Mia Bonta braved the mud and the reported (but not actual) rain to join the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento for 2023’s #WomenBuild!

LACCW Woman of the Year Awards

CCSWG was proud to be the 2023 title sponsor of the LA County Commission on Women’s Woman of the Year event which honored 13 women chosen by the LA County Board of Supervisors and the LACCW who making a difference in California, including Mayor Karen Bass. 

Equal Pay Day 2023

On National Equal Pay Day, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom announced that Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Long Beach, and Fresno have signed the California Equal Pay Pledge, joining over 100 existing pledge signatories. The First Partner made the announcement alongside former State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson; Deputy Mayor of Oakland Kimberly Mayfield, Kimberly Ellis, Executive Director of the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women; Gloria Chen, Chief People Officer for Adobe; and Holly Martinez, Executive Director of the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls.

How women working in California are recovering from pandemic setbacks

Equal Pay Day symbolizes how far into the year women have to work to earn what men did in the previous year. It’s March 15 and women are just catching up.

Holly Martinez, the executive director of the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, joined Sonseeahray to talk about what’s being done to help women recover from the additional financial hardship caused by the pandemic.

California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls Announces $5M in Grants to Fund Women’s Pandemic Recovery Response on Equal Pay Day

Today, March 15, 2022, on Equal Pay Day, the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls (CCSWG) announced the recipients of a $5 million grant program to fund organizations serving women and girls who have been disproportionately affected economically by the ongoing pandemic. Grantees include organizations serving low-income, unemployed, or underemployed, AIAN, BIPOC, LGBTQIA, unhoused, rural, disabled, senior, and veteran populations. Grants were awarded in five areas to direct service providers, local women’s commissions, and government entities seeking to establish and expand local women’s commissions, and nonprofits serving primarily women and girls.

Watch Commissioner Greer on Good Day LA!

Commissioner Lisa Greer joined Good Day LA on Friday, January 28, 2022 to talk about the CCSWG Women’s Recovery Response Grant Opportunity. With $5 million dollars available, CCSWG will award funds ranging from $25,000 up to $250,000 to eligible applicants in five distinct funding categories. Applications are due February 4, 2022 by no later than 4:00 p.m. All application materials, eligibility requirements, and submission guidelines are available on our website at https://women.ca.gov/womens-recovery-response/. These grants will insert structural support and resources into a network of local leaders ready to respond to the growing economic challenges and needs of women impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Welcome Executive Director Holly Martinez!

The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls (CCSWG) has announced the permanent hiring of its former Interim Executive Director, Holly Martinez. Martinez was officially sworn in by California’s Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins on December 16, 2021 after being appointed in November by the Commission. Under her leadership throughout most of 2021, the Commission has blazed a new path, leading the way on a statewide women’s recovery in the wake of the pandemic and expanding its programming and legislative work as well as developing a large-scale philanthropic effort. Her Commission appointment as Executive Director was effective as of November 1, 2021.

CCSWG Sponsors Habitat for Humanity's "Women Leaders Build" Event

The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls are sponsoring Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento’s inaugural Women Leaders Build as part of Women Build Month.

Women, especially those who serve as head of their families and women of color, disproportionately face obstacles that make accessing decent, affordable housing seem impossible. Stable, affordable homeownership is transformative for low-income families.

This March, over Women’s History Month, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento will bring together over 500 women from across the region to help build and preserve critically needed affordable housing for low-income single moms, women, children, and families.

CCSWG COVID 19 Response

The COVID-19 pandemic will continue to affect California in ways we can anticipate and ways we can not even imagine. Women, we know, are at the heart of the response to this virus, and are making critical contributions from every field and family. During any crisis, the impact on women is enormous. Please explore some of the resources we have gathered.

CCSWG 2022 Annual Report

Building off the success of our award-winning 2021 Annual Report, this report moves into 2023 articulating an unprecedented expansion of the Commission’s work and articulates the ongoing needs for women and families in California.

The California Blueprint For Women’s Pandemic Economic Recovery

The first of its kind, the Blueprint explores the unique economic impact the pandemic had on California women and provides key insights on the  intersectionality of COVID-19’s impact on women, their families and the state’s economic standing.