What challenges do women in Sacramento County face? New commission may look for answers
Following the lead of other major cities and counties in California, Sacramento County may soon create a commission dedicated to investigating and addressing challenges and biases faced by women and girls throughout the region.
The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors approved the establishment of a blue ribbon commission of local nonprofits and community leaders last month, a model that was successfully used six years ago to noticeably reduce the disproportionately high rate of black children dying in the county.
The idea for the commission is almost two years in the making, with advocacy groups such as Women’s Empowerment, Women’s Wisdom Art, WEAVE and more hosting a series of listening circles in shelters, schools and community centers across the county for the last year and a half to gather feedback from women and girls.
In about a year’s time, the blue ribbon commission will present the board with its vision for a permanent commission that would help inform public leaders about the needs and potential solutions for economic, social and judicial inequities women experience.
“This commission is needed on two points: In order to take a look at the policies that we have, the laws we have, and see where there are hiccups,” said Dina Howard, a program coordinator with California Lawyers for the Arts. “And it’s also necessary so we can work as a group to bring all of the different services together to a central point.”
Progress made by the 16 counties and nine cities that have women’s commissions on women’s issues was “inspiring,” said Erin Saberi, a local consultant who has helped lead the effort to create a Sacramento County version.
Some have focused on data collection and analysis, while others have supported shelters and in-person training, Saberi said. Others do a mix of both, such as Santa Clara and San Francisco’s commissions, which have funded research and prevention programs related to intimate partner violence and women’s safety.
“These are some of the most vulnerable people in our county, and we want to break that cycle,” said Vicki Boyd, a member of the Women’s Wisdom Art board of directors.
The county is one of the few major metropolitan areas in California that does not have a commission dedicated to the status of women.
“Enough counties have come to terms with it that there must be something there, there must be some value to it,” said Supervisor Phil Serna, who brought the group’s proposal to the board.
A permanent commission could investigate wage disparities among the county’s more than 10,000 employees, Serna said, or could host life-skill training programs, Saberi said, and better inform the county on how its 211 assistance line can be more responsive.
“It’s meant to advocate for everyone in our society,” Boyd said, both “women who are underserved and the women of means.”
In about nine to 12 months, the blue ribbon commission will return to the Board of Supervisors to present its proposal for how to structure Sacramento County’s commission to best improve the lives of its residents — by providing services, gathering information, offering insight or a combination of all three.
Saberi said a comment at the end of a recent Sacramento State listening circle by one woman summed up the mission of the women’s focused advocacy groups.
“She said, ‘We just need more of this, more safe spaces to talk and discuss what we need,’ “ Saberi said. “There’s something very special and powerful about the coming together thus far.”
This story was originally published August 7, 2019 at 2:06 PM.