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Commission
Activities
The Florida Commission on the Status of Women
engages in numerous activities each year in
order to empower women of the State of Florida
to achieve their fullest potential including:
Administering the
Florida Women's Hall of Fame
Conducting numerous
educational conferences for women
throughout
Florida
Presenting the
FCSW Florida
Achievement Award
Organizing Women's History Month celebrations
Commission
News
Commission Holds Second Quarterly Meeting
The
Commission will hold its Second Quarterly
Meeting on Saturday, June 12, 2010, 9:00 AM –
Noon in room 3032 of Weimer Hall, College of
Journalism and Communications at the University
of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
In addition to conducting business, the
Commission will be addressed by Dean of the
College and Journalism and Communications, Dr.
John Wright and by former Gainesville Mayor
Pegeen Hanrahan. The meeting is open to the
public and interested parties are encouraged to
attend.
The Commission will hold
its Second Quarterly Meeting on Saturday, June
12, 2010, 9:00 AM – Noon in room 3032 of Weimer
Hall, College of Journalism and Communications
at the University of Florida, Gainesville,
Florida.
In addition to conducting business, the
Commission will be addressed by Dean of the
College and Journalism and Communications, Dr.
John Wright and by former Gainesville Mayor
Pegeen Hanrahan. The meeting is open to the
public and interested parties are encouraged to
attend.
Commission to Host
Third Gender Bias in the Media
Panel
Discussion
We
are pleased to announce that The Florida
Commission on the Status of Women will host its
third Gender Bias in the Media Roundtable
discussion on August 31, 2010, 7:00 PM to 8:30
PM at Pugh Hall of the Bob Graham Center for
Public Service at the University of Florida,
Gainesville, FL.
The Roundtable participants
will include elected officials and community
leaders and representatives from the media,
academia, local women's groups and students.
They will share their perspectives and
experiences in dealing with gender bias or
stereotyping in the media, particularly
political coverage.
"The Florida Commission on
the Status of Women 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," said
Susanne Hebert, Commission Chair. "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."
The Roundtable 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 while
balancing the right to freedom of the press and
expression; and effective ways to promote gender
awareness in the media.
The Roundtable will be open
to the public and questions and comments will be
accepted from the audience. For more information
contact the Commission office at 850-414-3300.
Commission Elects New Officers
The Florida Commission on the Status of Women
(FCSW) has elected the following members to
serve as officers for 2010-2011: Susanne Hebert,
Chair; Nancy Acevedo, Vice-Chair; Laurie Pizzo,
Treasurer; Laura McLeod, Secretary; Lourdes
Castillo de la Pena, Member at Large; and Amy
Kryak, Member at Large. The FCSW is a
nonpartisan board consisting of 22 members
appointed by the Governor, President of the
Senate, Speaker of the House, and members of the
Florida Cabinet, statutorily created in 1991 and
administratively housed in the Office of the
Attorney General Bill McCollum. The Commission
is dedicated to empowering women in achieving
their fullest potential, to eliminating barriers
to that achievement and to recognizing women’s
accomplishments. The election took place during
the Commission’s first quarter meeting, March
24, 2010 in Tallahassee. “It is an honor to
serve with such an outstanding group of women
who are working to improve the lives of women
and families in Florida,” says Commission Chair
Susanne Hebert. “I’m looking forward to a busy
and successful year.”
Florida Women’s Hall of
Fame Seeks Nominations
Nominations for the 2010-2011 Florida Women’s
Hall of Fame are now being accepted through
Thursday, July 15, 2010 by the Florida
Commission on the Status of Women. Since its
inception in 1982, the Hall of Fame has
recognized and honored Florida women who,
through their lives and works, have made
significant contributions to the improvement of
life for all citizens of the state.
The Commission accepts nominations to the Hall
of Fame annually between April 1 and July 15.
Following deliberations, the Commission will
recommend 10 nominees to the Governor, who will
select up to three women for induction into the
Hall in a March 2011 ceremony.
Click here
for nomination information.
THREE OUTSTANDING WOMEN
INDCUTED
INTO THE
FLORIDA WOMEN’S HALL OF FAME
Governor Charlie Crist inducted three outstanding
Florida women into the
Florida Women’s
Hall of Fame. The three women honored
were Dr.
Eugenie Clark,
Claudine
Dianne Ryce, and
Dara
Grace Torres. Governor Crist chose the three
women from a list of 10 distinguished nominees
selected by the Florida Commission on the Status
of Women for making significant contributions to
the improvement of life for women and all
citizens of Florida.
“It is an honor for the Florida Commission on
the Status Women to be involved in the
recognition of women and their accomplishments,
the Governor has chosen three outstanding
women,” stated Mona Jain, M.D., Ph.D, chair of
the Commission. “Their impact on all citizens of
Florida provides evidence of the critical role
that women have played in shaping our state.”
COMMISSION AND
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WOMEN’S HEALTH
PROGRAM RELEASE REPORT
The Florida Commission on the Status of Women
and the
Florida Department of Health Women’s Health
Program have jointly released their report,
Good Health for a Lifetime: A Woman’s Guide and
Women’s Health Data Report. The
report highlights the current status of women’s
health in Florida, and provides insights on more
holistic, multi-dimensional wellness and
prevention approaches that offer alternatives to
the more customary linear path of disease
management specifically for women.
The Florida Legislature charged the Commission
to not only study and report on the
ever-changing roles of women in American
Society. The focus of the Commission’s mission
is to empower women from all walks of life in
achieving their fullest potential. The Florida
Legislature also mandates the Women’s Health
Program to review and research the latest trends
in women's health. It is in fulfillment of these
mandates that the Commission and the Florida
Department of Health has chosen to collaborate
on this important report.
“We are excited to have partnered with the
Commission to produce this joint report that
addresses the health status of women in our
state,” says Kim Berfield, Deputy Secretary of
the Department of Health. “In addition, the
report is also a resource. It is our hope that
women across Florida will look to this
informative report as another tool to learn more
about how to live healthy.”
“We sincerely hope this report will help educate
the women of Florida on how to stay healthy,”
says Commission Chair, Mona Jain, M.D., Ph.D.
“Little is more important to a vibrant and
flourishing society than a dedication to health
and well-being.”
“This report is designed to fulfill our mission
of empowering women at a time when it is evident
that our basic methodologies must change if we
are to be successful in meeting the diverse
health care challenges at hand,” says Commission
Annual Report Committee Chair, Susanne Hebert.
The report is available
here or by calling the Commission office at
850-414-3300.
In 2004 Florida passed legislation establishing
the Department of Health Officer of Women's
Health Strategy with the charge to direct public
policy to address the distinct health needs of
women across the life span. For more information
about the DOH Women’s Health Program, visit
http://www.doh.state.fl.us/womenshealth/.
The Florida Commission on the Status of
Women Elects Officers for 2009-2010.
Dr. Bill Law, President of Tallahassee
Community College inducts Commissioner Mona
Jain, M.D., Ph.D., as the 2009/2010 Commission
Chair.
Dr. Bill Law inducts the following
members to serve as officers for 2009-2010:
Susanne Hebert, Vice-Chair; Nancy Acevedo,
Secretary; Anne Voss, Treasurer; Carrie
Estevez Lee, Member at Large; and Laurie
Pizzo, Member at Large.
Florida
Commission on the Status of Women
Releases Annual Report on Internet Safety
FCSW 2007 Annual Report Committee Chair Claudia
Kirk Barto, and 2007 Commission Chair Norma S.
White, L.H.D., pose with Attorney General Bill
McCollum during Capitol Press Conference.
Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced
the release of the Florida Commission on the
Status of Women’s Sixteenth Annual Report. The
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.
“Internet safety is one of the most important
topics our women could become well-versed in as
they seek to protect their children and
families,” said Attorney General McCollum. “I
commend the Commission for their attention to
this topic and encourage each and every woman in
this state to pay close attention to this
essential issue.”
The Commission is charged by Florida law to
study the changing and developing roles of women
in American society, including the
implementation of recommendations to improve the
development of individual potential. As the
focus of the Commission’s mission is to empower
women from all walks of life in achieving their
fullest potential, the topic of internet safety
is one that would be essential to today’s women
as they endeavor to protect themselves, their
children and their families from the potential
dangers on the internet.
“We sincerely hope that this report will help
educate the women of Florida on how best to
protect themselves and their families from
crimes committed by computer,” says Commission
Chair, Norma S. White, L.H.D. “The Commission
commends Florida Attorney General Bill
McCollum’s leadership in the legal fight against
child pornography and the internet solicitation
of children. The report was written as yet
another step forward in these ongoing efforts to
keep our children safe as they explore the
Internet and use today’s technologies.”
In addition to information from the Attorney
General’s CyberCrime Unit and CyberSafety
presentations, the report also features material
from the National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children and numerous other sources
dedicated to preventing internet crimes against
children. Topics include the CyberCrimes Against
Children Act of 2007 and its impact on Florida;
tactics and strategies used by internet
predators to target children; the “grooming”
process, through which internet predators break
down their victims’ inhibitions by lying to
them; warning signs that children may be at risk
online; a guide to commonly used chat
abbreviations; and cyberstalking and online
harassment.
Click here for a copy
of the report.
FCSW Foundation to Publish
Florida Women's History Book
The Florida Commission
on the Status of Women (FCSW) and the
FCSW Foundation
Inc., are pleased to announce an exciting
project that, for the first time, will chronicle
the important contributions of women to Florida,
from the earliest Native American tribes, to
today’s pioneering women.
The soon to be published book, created in
partnership with
University Press of Florida and renowned
author and historian
Doris Weatherford, will be an invaluable
resource and research tool for educators,
students and the public. This project will bring
a historical perspective to the role of women in
the evolution and development of our State…one
that will inspire and motivate future
generations of Floridians.
Click here for more information.
Commission
Plays Integral Part in Florida Council
The Florida Commission on the Status of Women
has been playing vital roles in two important
groups dedicated to serving the needs of Florida
Women, the
Interagency Council on Women's Health.
The
Interagency Council on Women's Health was
created by the Officer of Women's Health
Strategy to provide a mechanism for addressing
legislative mandates related to women's health.
Partners from state agencies, public and private
organizations, consumers, and stakeholders in
women's health are working together to improve
the overall health status of women in Florida
through research, awareness and education. The
Council recognizes the unique needs of women and
provides for public policy to address the
distinct characteristics of women's health
issues. The Commission is actively working with
the Strategic Planning sub-committee in studying
programs related to women's health throughout
Florida.
Upcoming
Commission Meetings and Activities*
Second Quarterly
Meeting
Saturday, June 12, 2010
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
University of Florida
College of Journalism and Communications
3032 Weimer Hall, 3rd Floor
Gainesville, FL 32611
Gender Bias in the
Media Panel
Tuesday, August 31,
2010
7:00 p.m. -
8:30 p.m.
University of Florida
Pugh Hall
Gainesville, FL 32611
Third Quarterly
Meeting
September 25, 2010
Traditions Hall
University of South Florida
Tampa, FL
*Times and dates for meetings and events may
vary. Please contact the
Florida Commission
on the Status of
Women at (850)
414-3300 for additional information.
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