Sections
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What We Do
Our North Star: If we are successful in our efforts, we will enable greater health and physical safety, housing and economic stability, security and mobility, as well as civic engagement and political empowerment for women, girls and nonbinary people throughout San Francisco.
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. At the Department on the Status of Women, we recognize our responsibility to take a more holistic approach as it relates to providing San Francisco’s women, girls and nonbinary people with the information, tools and resources they need to live their best and healthiest whole lives possible.
Economic Security
Financial empowerment and independence have been the greatest drivers of gender equity around the world. DOSW has expanded its focus to include services that support financial stability, security and mobility around jobs and employment, housing, financial literacy, subsidized childcare, paid family and dependent leave, saving and investing, entrepreneurship and other avenues to economic success.
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. This service area will include a host of trainings, educational workshops, and public service campaigns, with the goal of getting women, girls, and nonbinary people organized, registered to vote, educated on critical issues and actively participating in all levels of government.
Programs & Initiatives
Abortion Rights
The Dobbs ruling has turned issues of abortion rights and reproductive freedoms on their heads for all people, especially for those who become pregnant.
Pillars:
Civic Engagement & Political Empowerment, Health & Safety
Community Needs Assessment
Addressing systemic issues and serving the community starts and ends with an in-depth understanding of both the problems and those impacted. The Department has engaged a team of outside experts to help us better recognize the greatest obstacles faced by women, girls and nonbinary people in San Francisco.
Pillars:
Health & Safety, Economic Security
Data Integrity & Performance Accountability Initiatives
DOSW believes that technological solutions are intended to help streamline workflows, reduce errors and decrease time spent manually processing fiscal and programmatic data.
Pillars:
Economic Security
Election Survey Project
2022 saw one of the most historic elections in our nation’s history, which included the President’s Party gaining a seat in the Senate, a near even split between both Parties in Congress and women getting elected in increased numbers across the country, including the highest number of female governors ever.
Pillars:
Civic Engagement & Political Empowerment
Family Violence Council
Violence impacts individuals at different stages of life. Child abuse, elder or dependent adult abuse, and domestic violence (also known as intimate partner violence or IPV) are all forms of family violence that have traumatizing and far-reaching effects on individuals, families and entire communities.
Pillars:
Health & Safety
GBV Grants Portfolio Porting Project
As part of the strategic shift from a general grant making agency to a Watchdog, Advocacy and Convening organization, beginning in FY 25-26, the gender-based violence grants portfolio will transition to the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD).
Pillars:
Economic Security
Mayor's Task Force on Anti-Human Trafficking
The Department proudly serves as the lead agency for the Mayor’s Taskforce on Anti-Human Trafficking.
Pillars:
Health & Safety
Shift Happens Women's Policy Summit
With its debut in Spring of 2023, the Department hosted San Francisco’s Inaugural Women’s Policy Summit – SHIFT Happens: Shifting Narratives, Policies and Culture to Create a Gender Equitable Future.
Pillars:
Civic Engagement & Political Empowerment
