Message from the Chair 

The Florida Commission on the Status of Women is making plans to host our second Gender Bias in the Media Roundtable discussion in September 2009 in Miami, FL. Representatives from women's groups, academia, and media, will share with participants their perspectives and experiences in dealing with gender bias or stereotyping in the media, particularly political coverage.

The Commission is compelled to take a public stand regarding the approach employed by some members of the media related to women, particularly in the political arena. Through these discussions we endeavor to ensure credibility and integrity in our media by asking Florida newspapers, television and radio stations, and the blogs to conduct an honest evaluation of their conduct and adopt an affirmative policy of no tolerance of misogyny or gender bias in reporting and commentary.

Participants will discuss whether women have been portrayed with bias in the media and political coverage; the impact of such bias or misrepresentation on women; the need to initiate changes in various sectors (including roles that different parties could play); how to tackle the problem and at the same time uphold freedom of the press and expression, and allow sufficient room for creativity; and effective ways to promote gender awareness in the media. 

Program details will soon be available from the Commission website at www.fcsw.net. For more information contact the Commission office at 850-414-3300.

FCSW Welcomes New Commissioners

 

The Florida Commission on the Status of Women is pleased to welcome four newly appointed members to the Commission.

Speaker of the House Marco Rubio has appointed Representative Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall to the Commission. As the State Representative for District 109, she partnered with agencies, businesses and other organizations which helped her to serve many families throughout the poorest sections of Miami-Dade county; whether to provide toys during the holidays; food, clothing and shelter after natural disasters; and employment/entrepreneurial connections at all times. Having created numerous successful programs that changed the lives of children and single mothers, she has often used her creative solutions for problems that seemed to perplex and overwhelm others.

Governor Charlie Crist appointed Sharon Day, Jacksonville City Councilwoman Glorious Johnson, and Alci Maldonado. Commissioner Sharon Day is a retired executive with marketing, group health insurance and re-insurance experience. She is an entrepreneur that has built and sold numerous businesses and is a strong supporter of small business. Commissioner Day serves on the Broward County Housing Authority as Chairman of the Commission and is Broward County's State Committeewoman and Florida's Republican National Committeewoman.

Commissioner/Councilwoman Johnson has been an
elected official since 2003. Prior to becoming an elected official, Commissioner/Councilwoman Glorious Johnson was an educator, in which she taught music in the public school system. Later, she became an instructor at the college level, teaching business courses. She is a well-known motivational speaker in which she has spoken to groups from 1 to 53,000.

Commissioner Alci Maldonado is an outstanding Spanish-American Citizen of Polk County and the State of Florida. Commissioner Maldonado has organized and volunteered for a wide variety of charitable causes and community organizations, especially those which serve children, the poor and immigrants. Commissioner Maldonado is an elected Commissioner on the Polk County Efficiency Commission (she is one of only two Hispanic-American Commissioners).
 

Welcome to the Commission!

Three To Be Inducted into the
Florida Women's Hall of Fame
 

Career Fair to Be Part of Florida Conference for Women

 

The Florida Conference for Women is thrilled to announce a partnership with career expert Tory Johnson, CEO of Women For Hire and Workplace Contributor on ABC's Good Morning America, to host the ReWork Career Fair at the Florida Conference for Women on May 12. The Career Fair will feature local and national employers and recruiters with current employment opportunities in Florida. Expert speakers will present workshops on career development and advancement as well as practical advice such as resume development and networking tips.

The Career Fair offers attendees a great opportunity to meet face-to-face with top employers, to network with other professionals, and learn how to position yourself and your career in today's challenging work environment. This is the ideal chance to ask questions, sell yourself, and gather valuable information that you wouldn't otherwise be able to obtain.

 

Early Registration Discounts!
Register by April 1 to receive discounts on individual tickets and tables of ten. Discounts are also available for mother-daughter registrations and half price for students with a valid ID.

Florida CyberSafety Update
by Michele Manning, FCSW Staff

 

 

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum recently announced that his CyberSafety Education program has already exceeded the 100,000 student mark during the 2008/2009 school year, an important milestone in just a few short months. The interactive 50-minute program combines real-life stories and examples to help middle and high school students identify ways they could be victimized by online predators and to encourage safe internet use.

 

The Commission's Sixteenth Annual Report, titled "Smart Surfing: A Resource Guide for Internet Safety," was created to raise awareness about the need for women to have the knowledge and skills to protect themselves and their families from many types of computer crimes. The report features information from the Attorney General's CyberCrime Unit and CyberSafety presentations and will serve as a resource on internet safety for Florida's women.

The Commission continues to support Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum's efforts to protect our children from Internet Predators. In addition to making classroom presentations, the Commission is offering informational session to parents and guardians through school PTA organziations. Please contact the Commission at (850) 414-3300 to schedule a session at your school.

 

"Thank you so much for coming to St. Francis and providing our students with the CyberSafety presentation. I know listening to the presentation just gave me chills. We really live in a scary world. Thank you for instilling your wisdom to our young men and women." - Sherry Houston, Development Director, St. Francis Catholic High School, Gainesville, FL.