Seattle Women's Commission

2007 Workplan

In 2007, much of the work of the Seattle Women's Commission will be conducted through our five committees:

• Committee for Economic Opportunity, Advancement, and Security
• Health and Human Services Committee
• Race and Social Justice Committee
• Summit Planning Committee
• Violence Against Women Committee

The Committee for Economic Opportunity, Advancement, and Security

The issue priority for this committee for 2007 will be economic security for women. The Committee will pursue this priority using assessment and evaluation methods that are gender-sensitive, anti-racist, and age-inclusive. Ongoing work of the committee will include efforts to:

• Monitor the role of the City in its support of the United Way EITC Campaign
• Partner with relevant groups in advocacy against Predatory Lending
• Assess the status of Living Wage Legislation in Seattle
• Examine City workforce equity in pay & hiring practices
• Monitor the 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness
• Explore disproportionality in schools and access to education for ethnic minority girls

Health and Human Services Committee

• Monitor progress on the City of Seattle's Healthy Communities Initiative. Meet, as needed, with policy staff at the health department to ensure that issues pertaining to women's health and well-being are effectively addressed in the implementation of the Initiative.
• Identify opportunities to work on the promotion of healthy lifestyles (ie, healthy eating and exercise), towards the goal of eliminating health disparities among women across race, ethnicity and income.
• Work on recommendation #3 in the SWC Status of Women's Health Report: "Evaluate current support for programs and educational outreach that support healthy lifestyle choices to address the health risk factors that remain prevalent."
• Consider issues pertaining to the accessibility of health care for women: list community health centers on the SWC website, etc

Race and Social Justice Committee

The Race and Social Justice Committee of the Seattle Women's Commission is deeply committed to the following in its ongoing effort to improve the lives of women and communities of color in the City of Seattle. The Committee will seek to:

• Maintain an anti-racist analysis
• Create a movement to address institutionalized racism
• Cultivate a multicultural work force
• Focus on changing underlying systems

Summit Planning Committee

The 2007 Seattle Women's Summit will provide an opportunity for participants to engage in skill-building workshops, meet and talk with other women and agencies that serve women and girls and learn how the Seattle Women's Commission operates as a resource to advocate for women in Seattle.

The Summit Committee will work with other organizations servicing the women of Seattle to produce this event. During the one-day Summit, participants will have the opportunity to:

• Take two free workshops
• Visit an extensive Women's Resource Fair
• Listen to a motivational speaker with others over (free) lunch

Violence Against Women Committee

• Educate the full Commission about issues of domestic and sexual assault;
• Increase advocacy organizations' awareness about marginalized communities, e.g., limited English speakers, individuals with cognitive or physical disabilities who historically have been unable to access available resources;
• Involve community organizations in planning comprehensive response to violence against women;
• Provide educational opportunities regarding domestic violence to youth groups, places of worship, and other community groups that do not currently focus on violence against women; and
• Change cultural perspectives in communities where violence against women is considered acceptable.

2006-2007 Commission

Leona Warner

---