The San Francisco Department on the Status of Women

About the Department

Tasked with helping to transform San Francisco into a fully gender equitable City, the San Francisco Department and Commission on the Status of Women champion the equitable treatment and advancement of women, girls and nonbinary people across social, economic and political indexes through policies, programs and legislation, both within City and County government and in the private sector.

With a focus on its three core service areas, the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women is rebuilding itself as the:

  • City’s Watch Dog and Accountability Partner on all issues related to gender parity;

  • Chief Advocate for equity in service delivery, employment opportunities, leadership and policy development and budget allocation; and

  • Community Convener - bringing people together inside and outside the City to collaborate on ideas, strategy and impactful action to help San Francisco transform into a fully gender equitable City.

Core Services

Health & Safety

  • A healthy life isn’t simply a checked box at an annual checkup; it’s so much more, including what we eat, how we move and the practices and tools we use to strengthen not just our minds and bodies, but our souls too.

    From maternal, reproductive and sexual health, to mental, emotional and nutritional wellbeing, to physical and digital safety, no one can be their best self without investments in selfcare. Women play a disproportionate role as society’s caregivers, yet we either wait for permission and encouragement around selfcare or fail altogether when it comes to showing ourselves the same level of love and compassion that we so consistently show others.

    The lessons learned from the pandemic afford us an opportunity to rewrite what it means to prioritize women’s health, safety and well-being.

    Topics discussed in this panel discussion will address why now, more than ever, society must take a holistic approach when it comes to providing women, girls and nonbinary people with the information, tools, resources and support they need to live their best and healthiest whole lives – and to thrive!

  • Power Panel: Safety Doesn’t Happen by Accident. It’s Planned. Time to Center Safety Planning for Women, Girls and Nonbinary People.

    A healthy life isn’t simply a checked box at an annual checkup; it’s so much more, including what we eat, how we move and the practices and tools we use to strengthen not just our minds and bodies, but our souls too.

    From maternal, reproductive and sexual health, to mental, emotional and nutritional wellbeing, to physical and digital safety, no one can be their best self without investments in selfcare. Women play a disproportionate role as society’s caregivers, yet we either wait for permission and encouragement around selfcare or fail altogether when it comes to showing ourselves the same level of love and compassion that we so consistently show others.

    The lessons learned from the pandemic afford us an opportunity to rewrite what it means to prioritize women’s health, safety and well-being.

    Topics discussed in this panel discussion will address why now, more than ever, society must take a holistic approach when it comes to providing women, girls and nonbinary people with the information, tools, resources and support they need to live their best and healthiest whole lives – and to thrive!

Economic Security

  • Financial empowerment and independence have been the greatest drivers of gender equity around the world. The ability to financially care for oneself is crucial in combatting a host of issues where gender disparity is jarring. The road to financial security and freedom is paved through education, but more importantly access - access to capital, access to networks and access to opportunities.

    Certainly, entrepreneurship, ingenuity and grit play vital roles in generating wealth, but we cannot expect to end systems of oppressions without actively taking strides to overcome the inert structures holding women, girls and nonbinary people back from equal economic opportunities.

    This section will explore various supports for financial stability, security and mobility around jobs and employment, housing, financial literacy, personal income and business taxes, subsidized childcare, paid family and dependent leave, saving and investing, guaranteed income and micro grant programs, entrepreneurship and other avenues to economic success.

  • Power Panel: Moving on Up - Mo’ Money Mo’ Freedom: Using Legislation, Financial Tools, Resources and Pilot Programs to Create More Economically Mobile Futures.

    Economic inequities for women have existed for centuries, and deep-seated roots in pervasive sexism and structural social structures are difficult to break.

    In fact, women weren’t allowed to open credit cards in their own name without a male cosigner as recently as 1974. From discrimination to household responsibilities to a lack of exposure to financial tools, today, a variety of roadblocks continue to make it difficult for women, girls and nonbinary people to navigate and partake equally in the financial world. But a better understanding of the challenges and resources available can help facilitate the process.

    Being financially independent is critical to achieving gender equity, and pay transparency laws, coupled with other initiatives like forgiving student loan debt, providing access to capital and high paying jobs, enacting universal healthcare coverage and expanding childcare funding can go a long way toward achieving it.

    This panel will discuss various economic and financial tools and resources available at the local, state and federal levels in California, as well as support through private and philanthropic initiatives. With deliberate and thoughtful policy making, we can close income and wealth gaps and advance economic stability, security, mobility and prosperity for women, girls and nonbinary people.

Civic Engagement & Political Empowerment

  • Benefiting from democracy only occurs if citizens and residents are active, engaged, and educated to leverage the tools available to make an impact in their communities. Whether it’s getting elected to public office, appointed to a board or commission, forming an advocacy group, or even starting a ballot measure effort, the pathway to change for women, girls and nonbinary people starts with education and engagement. That means going to the places and spaces and meeting people where they’re at, and listening not just to their ideas, but their proposed solutions too.

    From getting organized and registered to vote, to being educated on critical issues and actively participating at all levels of government, we can’t expect women, girls and nonbinary leaders to suddenly appear without cultivation, development and investment in both outreach and collaboration with those missing voices.

    This section will include some of the foremost political leaders, voices, practitioners and operatives who are championing and passing legislation and developing the narratives and blueprints to leverage the collective power and impact of women’s civic engagement and political empowerment.

  • Power Panel: The X-Factor: From Peace and Justice to Equality and Elections, the Path to Victory Runs Through Women

    Electoral outcomes in the last four campaign cycles have proven one thing: when single women, people of color and young folks (collectively known as the New American Majority) turn out to vote, they pack one heck of a punch, can move mountains and create a lot of sway. This demographic is not only a powerful and growing voting bloc, it has also proven to be the margin of victory by either not showing up on election day or by taking the voting booths by storm.

    Women voters in particular have been the driving force behind the new American Majority, with approximately 68% of eligible women voting in the past Presidential election alone. But as a group, are we being as strategic as possible when it comes to flexing our electoral muscle to create the policy and legislative changes needed?

    As women, girls and nonbinary people continue to be disproportionately impacted by and struggle to recover from the pandemic, this panel will discuss specific legislation already in the works to address structural gender inequities, as well as ways we’re working to leverage our individual and collective efforts to organize, make our voices heard and elect leaders at all levels that will represent our values and help create a more equitable future for all of us.