SFWPC’s Positions on Emerging Issues

Commission and Department on the Status of Women

• We believe both the Commission and the Department on the Status of Women are essential to holding the city accountable for embedding gender equity into public services and city culture.
• The Department has been instrumental in securing public funding and programs to address gender-based violence. Thanks to its work, San Francisco is recognized nationally as a leader in advancing gender equity and broader civil rights.
• The Commission on the Status of Women provides critical oversight. Under City Charter Section 33, it is tasked with monitoring complaints of unlawful or unequal treatment of women, investigating systemic inequalities, and recommending remedies. Section 4.101(d) further requires the Commission to analyze city appointments through the lens of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, and other demographic factors.
• We are concerned that merging the Department with the Human Rights Department into a new “Agency on Human Rights” could dilute the city’s focus on gender equity and reverse hard-won progress. At a minimum, any departmental merger must ensure a safe, stable working environment and protect essential staff from layoffs or budget reductions. Ongoing monitoring of the new agency’s outcomes is necessary to ensure gender equity remains a top and equal priority. SFWPC would like to see annual reporting on the Agency’s gender equity outcomes. 
• Regarding the Commission, we remind city leaders that its existence and function are mandated by the City Charter. The Mayor’s Office cannot dismantle it unilaterally, and the Board of Supervisors must ensure it is fully funded to carry out its legal duties.
• We cannot support any merger or streamlining of city bodies if these safeguards are not met. We call on city leadership to protect and uphold gender equity as a core civic commitment—not an optional agenda item.

City Budget/Funding Cuts

• We acknowledge that the city is facing unprecedented budgetary challenges and that the federal government has threatened to withhold additional federal funds from the city in the future. 
• As the city continues to wrestle with difficult budget decisions, SFWPC urges city leaders to prioritize funding for direct services that benefit residents, including domestic violence services, public transit, public housing, food assistance, and public education. 
• We also encourage city leaders to understand that addressing intimate partner violence is critical for ensuring a safe and prosperous city. A recent study focused on California residents found that intimate partner violence precipitated and prolonged homelessness and was also associated with substance use disorders. Funding programs that support victims of violence could further the Mayor’s goals to improve public safety, reduce the number of unhoused people in our city, and increase the number of people who succeed in substance abuse treatment programs. 
• SFWPC also recommends that the City and County systematically track, study, and analyze budget cuts and their impacts. To that end, we urge the City and County to publish annual equity impact assessments outlining whether and how budget cuts are disproportionately affecting marginalized communities. These assessments will not only promote transparency and accountability now, but also help inform future budget decisions and highlight areas where investment must be restored or expanded once fiscal conditions improve.