California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls

"First-Ever Survey of California’s LGBTQIA+ Older Adults Reveals High Quality of Life and Opportunities for Inclusion. California has conducted the first-ever statewide survey about the current and future health and well-being of LGBTQIA+ older adults. 86% of California’s LGBTQIA+ older adults surveyed gave high ratings to their quality of life, while 14% rated their quality of life as fair or poor. The survey focused on seven key quality of life areas, and the report outlines recommendations to address the challenges and opportunities shared by more than 4,000 survey respondents." Read the final report on the California Department of Aging Website: https://lnkd.in/gB5BVqnn

"Women between the ages of 25 and 34 continue to be more likely than men in the same age group to have a bachelor’s degree. The gender gap in bachelor’s degree completion appears in every major racial or ethnic group, though the size of the gap varies widely." https://lnkd.in/eiXTPg98

How the California Women’s Recovery Response is Changing Lives Post-Pandemic. The Women’s Recovery Response grant program represents the first time the state of California has dedicated resources, under the oversight of the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, to the specific needs of women impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of the Women’s Recovery Response program was to build a more direct system of support for women in communities across the state by strengthening the existing network of local commissions, growing diverse representation of all women’s voices through the establishment of new local commissions, and providing immediate relief to women in need by increasing resources for direct service providers to support the economic recovery of women and the economic circumstances of girls. The grant program reached women and girls where they are, holistically across intersectional needs, in diverse communities, allowing the Commission to provide support addressing needs that included childcare and diapers; menstruation; job training; housing; counseling; trafficking prevention and outreach; foster care and foster care transition; breastfeeding; Black women’s wellness; therapy for underserved communities; and much, much more. “The Women’s Recovery Response built a first-of-its-kind program that adopted a gender lens on crisis response statewide that has touched the lives of millions, both directly and indirectly in nearly every California county,” said Executive Director, Darcy Totten The Commission was able to grant funding to organizations that trace that funding to the direct support of more than 80,587 unique women and 9,923 unique girls statewide. Indirectly, we were able to impact nearly 10 million women and girls combined. Considering that California is home to only 19.6 million women, we can’t think of a better example of how a little bit of funding, and a lot of dedication, can go a very long way. Visit our website to download the full report, https://lnkd.in/gEBpzG8g. #WomenAreEssential #GenderEquity

On Monday, December 2, 2024, Commission Executive Director Darcy Totten was honored to join Susannah Delano, and Dr. Diandra "Dee" Bremond (she/her), Close the Gap California, and advocates from across California as we celebrated gender parity in the California Senate for the first time in history. California’s state Senate will be at least 50% women for the first time in history and, depending on a few races still undecided at the time of printing, the state Legislature could reach overall gender parity for the first time. The increase in women’s representation is part of a historic level of turnover in the Legislature, with at least 30 new members, and as many as 36. “What is a milestone like gender parity for, if not a moment like this?” said Susannah Delano, Executive Director of Close the Gap California, “State legislatures have and will continue to be the front line for many of those impacted to contest harmful policies and protect lives at risk.” #WomenInLeadership #GenderEquity

On Monday, December 2, 2024, Commission Executive Director Darcy Totten was honored to join California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Commissioner Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, Assemblymembers Maggy Krell and Akilah Weber, as they introduced two pieces of legislation intended to fortify the Golden State against national anti-abortion efforts. The first bill, by Assemblymember Krell, would safeguard access to medication abortions by shielding manufacturers, distributors and health providers from any civil, criminal or professional liability when transporting, distributing or administering abortion medications such as mifepristone and misoprostol. The second, by Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan, would give the California Attorney General’s Office the authority to bring lawsuits against municipalities that interfere with peoples’ constitutionally protected access to abortions — a bill that comes in response to the City of Beverly Hills’ failed attempt earlier this year to block a clinic from going up within its jurisdiction. #WomenInLeadership #WomensRights

"During Care at Home Month in November, the department’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) salutes home care workers who deliver vital services to some of our communities’ most vulnerable people. These unsung heroes care for those who can’t always take care of themselves, including older adults, people with disabilities and children with special needs. Yet, home care workers are some of the lowest paid in the country." https://lnkd.in/eMByWC62

"Eileen Collins’ journey began in Elmira, New York, where she grew up in a household marked by poverty and instability. From a young age, she dreamed of flying as an escape from her challenging home life. Quietly and diligently, she worked for years to save money for flying lessons, taking on any part-time job she could find while still a student. She cleaned her high school’s halls as a janitor and helped customers at a home goods store. For her, no job was too menial, no effort too great. At the age of 19, after years of determination, she finally had enough saved to take her first flying lessons—a pivotal moment that set her on a course to greatness." https://lnkd.in/gcDHzhhc

A woman is killed by acts of gender-based violence every 10 minutes. According to the UN, an estimated 736 million women have experienced physical and sexual violence worldwide, and 1 in 4 adolescent girls are abused by their partners. These statistics reflect only reported cases, as many acts of violence against women go unreported due to the shame and stigma associated with such experiences. Gender-based violence disproportionately affects women and takes many forms, including intimate partner violence, sexual violence, human trafficking, and tech-facilitated violence, both on and offline. Women need strong protections that hold offenders accountable. The Commission honors the millions of women lost their lives to gender-based violence and remains committed to fighting for a future where all women can thrive. #NoExcuse #GenderBasedViolence

The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls was honored to join G20 Social, and Power Of Women (POW), for the 2nd Digital Power of Women Conference, a global digital conference that took place on November 17-18, 2024, presented policy recommendations that reflect a gender lens perspective to influence the decision-making process that shape the global economic, social, and environmental policies of the G20. This landmark event featured renowned speakers and dynamic leaders from across the G20 forum, uniting voices to advance women leadership across different sectors and inspire bold actions for a better future, including: Dr. Shirin Ebadi: Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, First Female Peace Prize Laureate from the Islamic World. Tawakkol Karman: Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, First Woman Nobel Laureate from the Arab World. H.E. Fatoumata C. M. Jallow Tambajang: Former Vice-President of The Gambia. Dr. Tulia Ackson: President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and Speaker of the National Assembly of Tanzania. The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls was highlighted in a five minute video presented to G20 attendees as part of social events sponsored by the President of Brazil. Learn more about the Commission here: https://lnkd.in/guu9SQ8W

The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls is proud to co-sponsor the 2025 STEAM Symposium, an event designed for STEAM educators and students. The Symposium is the largest convening of STEAM educators in California and offers a supportive space for students, particularly those from marginalized and underrepresented communities to explore equity in STEAM learning. Attendees can expect insight on innovative ways to integrate STEAM practices in the classroom, along with strategies and resources to address students’ and educators’ social & emotional well-being to support academic progress. Dates: Friday, February 7 to Saturday, February 8, 2025 Location: Town and Country Resort & Convention Center, San Diego, California Registration: Visit the link for the current registration rate, https://lnkd.in/gvcaHrKv