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Commission on the Status of Women urges Alameda County to advance CEDAW ordinance and address funding cut
Summary
The Commission on the Status of Women asked the Social Services Committee Feb. 24 to prioritize a local CEDAW ordinance, cited pandemic‑era disparities from the Women’s Well‑Being Index, and flagged a commission budget reduction and remaining vacancies that limit capacity.
Orly Amy, chair of the Alameda County Commission on the Status of Women, told the Social Services Committee on Feb. 24 that the commission urges the Board of Supervisors to advance a CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) ordinance and to consider restoring or identifying funds after a recent budget reduction.
The chair said the commission drafted a CEDAW ordinance and a board letter memo that have been submitted for Social Services Agency review and asked the Board to prioritize formal discussion and a vote. ‘‘We drafted the CEDAW ordinance and board letter memo, which was reviewed by SSAs and was submitted to board of supervisors,’’ she said.
Why it matters: The commission said adopting CEDAW would require county policymakers to conduct gender‑based policy analyses, establish an oversight body for implementation and allocate flexible funding to sustain gender‑responsive programs — steps the commission says would address disparities identified during and after the COVID‑19 pandemic.
The presentation summarized local data from the Women’s Well‑Being Index that the commission used to illustrate need: the commission cited that 35% of women lacked adequate prenatal care and that 38.6% of women are low‑wage workers, with childcare costs consuming about half of a single mother’s income in the county. The chair noted the report’s limitations, including reliance on data from 2018–2022 and gaps in disaggregated data for nonbinary individuals and some racial groups.
The commission also reported vacancies — it said it has 17 commissioners with five vacancies — and described a reported budget reduction the commission characterized as a 37.5% cut to a $10,000 annual allocation. The transcript includes a statement that the cut ‘‘left us with $62.50,’’ a figure that is mathematically inconsistent with a 37.5% reduction; the remaining amount was not clarified during the meeting.
Agency staff said the CEDAW draft has not advanced since a March 2024 board work session. Andrea Ford, agency director for social services, said she had not seen an updated draft and staff will follow up with supervisors’ offices. Julie, the staff who supports the commission, also said she could follow up with committee staff to identify the recommendation and next steps.
The commission outlined priorities for 2024–25 including gender‑based violence prevention, economic justice and health care access; it said it plans to revitalize a junior commission to engage late‑high‑school and early‑college‑age people.
No formal vote or motion occurred on the ordinance during the meeting. The committee chair and agency staff agreed to follow up with the commission on the ordinance draft and possible scheduling for further review.
