Achievements
Community Input- Seattle Women’s Summit 2002.
Over 160 men and women registered to participate in the first annual Seattle Women’s Summit on October 19,
2002 at Seattle Central Community College. KIRO7’s Deborah Horne was the Emcee for the day. The Summit organizers
recognized and celebrated the work of former Seattle City Councilmember Jeanette Williams, who advocated for
the creation of the Seattle Women’s Commission in 1971.
Participants listened to inspiring talks by State Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos, State Senator
Jeanne Kohl-Wells and Atlantic Street Executive Director Edith Chambers. Valerie Nabors described her
road to independence as a student in the FareStart program.
Attendees met in small breakout sessions to discuss the most pressing issues that women face and to
compile a report of suggested activities and actions, which will be sent to state, county, and Seattle
elected officials. Participants complimented the wide diversity of women who attended the Summit and
the break out sessions. There were many good suggestions to make next year’s event even better. The
event was co-sponsored by the Seattle Women’s Commission, the Seattle Office for Civil Rights, Women’s
Programs and Multicultural Events at Seattle Central Community College.
Watch this site for the final report of the Seattle Women’s Summit 2002.
Anti-Harassment Project in Seattle Public Schools: 1999-2000
Roosevelt & Ingraham High Schools, Denny & Mercer Middle Schools.
- Provided anti-harassment training and education for all staff (over 400)
and all students (over 4,000) in four secondary schools.
- Developed a comprehensive curriculum for teaching staff and students about
harassment, and what to do if it occurs.
- Completed and distributed Resource Guide for Anti-Harassment
training in Seattle Public Schools.
- Copies are available from Seattle Women's Commission.
Survey of Seattle's Female Fire Fighters: 2000-2001
- Conducted a survey of female fire fighters to assess changes in work
atmosphere for women within the Seattle Fire Department over the
last five years.
- Published a report entitled Women in the Seattle Fire Department 2001.
Women in the Seattle Fire Department Report: Points of Interest
The survey covered job satisfaction, recruitment and training, assignments, work
environment, facilities and equipment, supervision and promotion.
The report identified progress and positive improvements for women since 1993 in SFD:
- 62% of respondents felt they received an equitable opportunity
to rise to the ranks of upper management.
- The number of women working with other women on a
regular basis increased by 41%.
The report also identified areas for improvement since 1993:
- An increased percentage of respondents found
non-traditional work hours a hardship for self and/or family.
- Respondents have less confidence in their supervisors'
ability to provide a supportive atmosphere for dealing with
problems or difficult situations. Respondents also have less
confidence in their supervisors' accountability.
SWC recommended several actions that SFD could take
to improve the climate for female firefighters:
- Increase percentage of women in the department.
- Improve standards for supervisor accountability.
- Increase mentoring opportunities.
- Institute family-friendly policies.
SWC made recommendations about the mechanisms
for implementing these improvements:
- Hire a gender diversity consultant.
- Establish a Task Force, supported at the highest level of administration.
- Support a female firefighter affinity group.
- Conduct follow-up surveys on a regular basis.
SWC did not prioritize the recommendations since the Commission
felt that it was up to the women fire fighters and SFD to identify
priorities and work to create change.
City Interview Panels: 2000-2001
Participated on interview panels for the Seattle Police Chief (2000), Seattle
Fire Chief (2001) and Director for Office for Public Accountability (2001).
Cell Phone Collection for Domestic Violence Month: 2001
Coordinated city partnership program, collecting 250 cell phones for Verizon
Project during October 2001, Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention month.
Resolutions
A Resolution recognizing October 2001 as Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention
Month in the City of Seattle and urging all citizens to recognize the critical problem
of domestic violence and to join in support of the people and programs which help to
alleviate domestic violence.
To obtain a PDF copy of the Resolution.
About PDF Files: To view PDF files you need Adobe
Acrobat Reader in your system. You can
the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader from their site free of charge.
See Other Resolutions in Archive.
Other Programs Sponsored by Seattle Women's Commission
Child Care & Welfare Reform: "Who's Minding the Children?": 1999
Sponsored a public forum in 1999 in City Council Chambers
to discuss the issue of families going from welfare to work and the
conditions of childcare services, availability, and cost.
Prejudice Reduction Workshop: 2001
Offered a one day workshop for three commissions on prejudice reduction
in conjuction with the National Coalition Building Institute.
Legislative Work: ongoing
Develops annual Legislative agenda and works with the City's Office
of Intergovernmental Relations (OIR) to send letters of support or opposition
to bills before the State Legislature.
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