MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSION FOR WOMEN 111 N.W. 1° Street, Suite 1034, Miami, FL 33128 Minutes of Meeting of January 28, 2015 Present: lora Adkins, Nordis Alvarez, Leah Blumenfeld, Monica Interian, Sharon Kendrick-Johnson, Kit Rafferty, Linda Robinson, Raisa Sequeira, Phyllis Sloan-Simpkins, Marie Woodson, Mara Zapata, and Dona Zemo Excused: Marie Eloi, Viviana Jordan, Michelle Dunaj Lucking, Noreen Lagault Mendoza, Francesca Menes, Beverly Nixon, and Eveline Pierre Staff: Laura Morilla Chair Mara Zapata commenced the meeting at 5:35 p.m. and welcomed everyone, especially our new member, Clora Adkins. Everyone introduced themselves. First, the Committee Reports were presented. Legislative Committee. Leah reviewed the written report of the committee meeting of January 12. The Florida COSW is having a Women’s Day at the Capitol in Tallahassee on March 24" concluding with the ‘Women’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony in the evening, some CFW members have expressed an interest in attending. That would conflict with the CFW meeting on March 25" so there was discussion of possibly changing the March CFW meeting date. Monica said that she was thinking of going to Tallahassee for the event and Mara said that she will see if she can go with some students from Miami-Dade College. This issue will be on the agenda for the February meeting. The four bills that the Committee recommended that the CFW support were: ERA ratification bill; minimum wage bill; Helen Gordon Davis Fair Pay Protection Act; and Florida Competitive Workforce Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, Nordis moved to approve the Legislative Committee's report. Linda seconded the motion, and the motion passed. Leah also reported that this past Monday she gave the CFW’s presentation at the public hearing of the Miami-Dade Legislative Delegation, Events and Fundraising Committee. Sharon reviewed the written committee report. The CFW will put up a display in the lobby of the Stephen P. Clark Center in March for Women’s History Month. We will reuse many of our poster boards from past years. We are waiting to hear back from the YWPA to see if the students want to do poster boards for the display. Regarding the proposed CFW scholarship with the YWPA, the Committee recommends possibly awarding two scholarships totaling $2500- one for $1500 and one for $1000. The Committee is waiting to hear back from the YWPA principal to meet with her, brainstorm, and get her approval for the proposal. Kit said with regard to the scholarship criteria, that the essay should be weighted more and that the applicants can talk about their life struggles; students with a high GPA are probably going to get scholarships from other sources, Mara said that it was important to see the student’s conviction about going to college, etc. and that she ‘can share a sample scholarship application form. Phyllis said that asking for documents is important- letter from the admitting college, letter from the community, etc. Kit said that the applicant should also be asked for her transcripts and her college admission letter. Monica suggested that that the minimum GPA be 2.5. Mara suggested that in the essay the applicant should be asked why it is important to give back to the community and that the essay should be broken down into sections/questions. Phyllis also said that the applicant should answer specific questions.Page 2 Sharon continued the Committee’s report and said that the Committee talked about doing fundraisers such as wine tastings. Phyllis said that the CFW should reach out to prominent people in the community such as Monty Trainor to collaborate on fundraisers. Back to the discussion of the scholarship, it would be better to give the scholarship money directly to the student, as opposed to directly to the college. Kit said that the CFW could also give a laptop. Phyllis said that the money should go directly to the student but the student should show that she already registered with the college. At this point there was a quorum. Sharon moved to approve the agenda and Phyllis seconded the motion. ‘The motion passed and the agenda was approved. Phyllis moved to approve the minutes of the CFW meeting of 11/19/14 and Linda seconded the motion. The motion passed and the minutes were approved. Communications Committee. Mara asked everyone to review the written report. Viviana will be asked to elaborate on the report at the next meeting. Mara mentioned that Miami-Dade College has a lot of events in March for Women’s History Month and asked CFW members to consider speaking at some of the events. Mara will email Laura with more information, Old Business. The CFW discussed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Mara explained that this matter was first raised by Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava at the CFW meeting in November. Mara said that she believes that the CFW needs to better understand what are the expectations of the CFW because in San Francisco, where a local CEDAW has been implemented, the CFW there has 5 or 6 staff people. After some discussion, it was suggested that the CFW Executive Committee meet with Commissioner Levine Cava to further discuss her proposal and elaborate, especially about the role of the CFW in implementing a local CEDAW. The Executive Committee will request a meeting with the Commissioner and all CFW members will be notified and invited. Mara further stated the CFW members have to be totally committed if the CFW is to pursue this matter. Laura gave a quick update on “The Envelope Please” Initiative that the CFW is supporting. Laura reported that the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association have both sent an email to their member hotels urging the hotels to join the Initiative. The CFW has also asked the Doral CFW to reach out to the Trump Doral Resort. Mara encouraged everyone to attend the In the Company of Women awards reception on March 5. The CFW is co-sponsor of the event. Mara mentioned that Marie Woodson was recently interviewed by one of the local television stations on the issue of paid family/sick leave. Kit explained that this is part of a larger story that is coming out and that Marie also prepared a letter about the issue for the advocacy group that Kit works for.MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSION FOR WOMEN 111 N.W. 1" Street, Suite 1034, Miami, FL 33128 Minutes of Meeting of March 26, 2015 Present: Clora Adkins, Leah Blumenfeld, Monica Interian, Sharon Kendrick-Johnson, Noreen Lagault Mendoza, Kit Rafferty, Linda Robinson, Raisa Sequeira, and Mara Zapata Exeused: __Nordis Alvarez, Viviana Jordan, Francesca Menes, Beverly Sloan-Simpkins, Marie Woodson, and Dona Zemo ‘on, Eveline Pierre, Phyllis Absent: Marie Eloi Guests: Laurie Scop from Partners for Self Employment and MUJER Staff: Laura Morilla Chair Mara Zapata commenced the meeting at 5:45 p.m. and welcomed everyone. First, the Committee Reports were presented. Executive Committee. Mara reviewed the written report about the meeting with Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava regarding the CEDAW initiative. Mara also reported that Adele from the Commissioner's office is meeting with Laura tomorrow to discuss possible next steps in the local CEDAW implementation. Mara mentioned that Adele also brought up the idea of the CFW possibly partnering with the Women’s Fund of Miami-Dade County for advocacy. Kit suggested a meeting with Fran Katz from the Women’s Fund and Mara asked Laura to contact Fran to see if she wants to come to a CFW meeting. Events and Fundraising Committee. Sharon reviewed the written committee report. The scholarship application was finalized and disseminated to the students at the YWPA. The application deadline is May 1. Legislative Committee. Leah reviewed the written report of the committee meeting of March 2. She gave a quick update that another set of guardianship bills had been filed, SB 1226 and HB 1225, and that SB 1096 never got a companion bill filed. Kit mentioned that new bill SB 1318 would make wage theft a crime and suggested that it also be included in the letter that the CFW sends to the Miami-Dade County Legislative Delegation, Since there was a quorum of the Executive Committee present-Mara, Leah, and Sharon, the Executive Committee could vote to send the letter to the Legislative Delegation. Mara moved to send the letter and Sharon seconded the motion. The Executive Committee approved the m The Legislative Committee also recommended that the CFW members visit the Homeless Assistance Center near downtown, Laura mentioned that she had recently been in a meeting with the Director of the Miami-Dade County Corrections Dept., who is a woman, and had asked her about the CFW visiting the jail where most of the women inmates are housed. The CFW wants to do both and Laura will follow up. Old Business. Mara gave a brief recap of the In the Company of Women reception, Mara also reminded everyone that the CFW is a co-sponsor of the April 11" Young Women’s Leadership Symposium. The CFW is entitle to send one representative but after the registration deadline is over the CFW may be able to send more people. Laura reported that the Casa Valentina event scheduled for April 30" has been moved to November 5". The CFW is a supporter and the CFW logo and information is supposed to be included in the program book.Page 2 New Business. The CFW discussed Viviana’s email suggesting that the May 27" meeting be an on the road meeting in West Kendall. Viviana has spoken to Commissioner Juan Zapata and he is eager for the CFW to have a meeting in West Kendall. One possible venue is the West Kendall Library. The CFW agreed to have the May 27" ‘meeting in West Kendall. Laura reported that the 6" Floor Conference Room is not available on September 30" so perhaps that meeting should be an on the road meeting too. Mara then suggested the Rebeca Sosa Theater in Miami Springs or the Miami-Dade College Inter American Campus in Little Havana. Mara also asked the CFW members for venue suggestions for future on the road meetings. Laura explained that Linda, Noreen, and Laura are going to the Coordinated Victims’ Assistance Center (CVAC) on March 30" for Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava’s “work day” there. Laura explained that BCC Chairman Jean Monestime has created a Council for Prosperity Initiatives with himself, Commissioner Barbara Jordan, and Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava as members. The CFW will be monitoring any meetings, etc. because of the impact of poverty on women and because one way to address poverty is to improve the economic situation of women. Noreen raised the issue of women and the gaming industry and the death threats that those women have been getting; it is basically cyber bullying of women. Noreen suggested that the CFW have a day seminar on women’s image in the media. Monica will call a meeting of the Domestic Violence Committee to address this, Attendance at Community Events. Linda said that she went to New York City this month and that the hotel she stayed at had an envelope in the room for the tip for the housekeeper. She sent a picture of the envelope to Laura, Laura reported that she, Marie Woodson, and Raisa spoke at the Women’s History Month symposium at the Young Women’s Preparatory Academy. Raisa reported that she spoke at the YWPA event and that she attended a women’s event at the Miami-Dade College Kendall Campus and a women’s conference at FIU. She also reported that a UN Women-FIU Chapter was just established, Clora said that she attended a women’s entrepreneurial event at the Miami-Dade College Hialeah Campus and an HIV/AIDS educational event. She also had a meeting with Victor Williams and a Miami Gardens Commissioner about human trafficking. Clora explained that Victor wants to have an educational campaign for small hotels. Announcements. Linda said that the Human Trafficking Committee would be meeting soon. Laurie Scop, a guest at the meeting, talked about a project that the WMN Miami/Younger Women’s Taskforce is doing. The group is starting an initiative to help homeless women get the necessary feminine hygiene products. Laurie said that she could also make a presentation about the services that MUJER offers. Monica asked Mara to explain a bit about the Guardian Ad litem program and Mara talked about some of her experiences serving as a guardian. ‘The meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m. Laura Morilla Recorder.MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSION FOR WOMEN, 111 N.W. 1* Street, Suite 1034, Miami, FL 33128 Minutes of Meeting of May 27, 2015 Present: Clora Adkins, Monica Interian, Viviana Jordan, Sharon Kendrick-Johnson, Noreen Lagault Mendoza, Beverly Nixon, Kit Rafferty, Linda Robinson, Marie Woodson, and Mara Zapata Excused: Leah Blumenfeld, Marie Eloi, Nordis Foreade, Francesca Menes, Eveline Pierre, Raisa Sequeira, Phyllis Sloan-Simpkins, and Dona Zemo Guests: Anne McCudden, Manager of the Women’s Park; several students from Miami-Dade College Staff: Laura Morilla Chairwoman Mara Zapata commenced the meeting at 6:15 p.m. and welcomed everyone. The meeting was held at the Kendale Lakes Branch Library in West Kendall. Mara opened up the public forum but there were no comments from the public at this time. ‘The Committee Reports were then presented Events and Fundraising Committee. Marie Woodson reviewed the written committee report of the meeting of 05/19/15 where the Committee reviewed the scholarship applications from the YWPA students. The students selected by the Committee are Shaquelle Ballou and Michelle Rodriguez. One of the $1000 scholarships is being funded by the CFW/Friends and the other $1000 scholarship by Dr. Smith Joseph, who is also the Mayor of North Miami. The scholarship checks will be presented to the students at the BCC meeting of June 30". Marie also reported that the Committee discussed the fact that the CFW has to do fundraising for expenses for next year. Legislative Committee. Leah is out of town but provided a brief update via email. Going back to the issue of fundraising, Laura suggested asking Commissioners for donations from their office discretionary funds. One of the audience members, a student from Miami-Dade College, suggested having a fundraising event that will attract younger women. Something like a wine tasting event might limit attendance by college students. Old Business. The CFW members who toured the Metro West Detention Center on May 18 talked about the visit. Viviana said that it was a great visit with a lot of access to the facility and that it was not what she expected. Viviana said that one of her main concerns is the re-entry process for the women being released from the Detention Center. Kit said that this was a County facility and that the staff showed concern; in contrast to the private jails where there is more concern for making a profit for the shareholders of the company. Linda said that she was impressed with the psychiatric treatment available for the inmates. At this point Clora arrived and there was a quorum, Clora also went on the visit to the Detention Center and was also a Captain with the Miami-Dade Corrections Dept. for many years. Mara asked Clora to talk about the non-profit that she has that helps promote awareness of human trafficking and Clora gave a summary. ‘Then there was a discussion as to whether there is enough education about human trafficking in the public schools. ‘Viviana said that sometimes it is incorporated in other subjects like character education and social sciences.Page 2 Laura reported that she recently had a meeting with Wendy Kallergis of the Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association to brainstorm and discuss how to get more hotels to participate in “The Envelope Please” Initiative. ‘Mara reported that the CEDAW ordinance proposed by Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava passed first reading and that a public hearing is scheduled for July 9" at2 p.m. Mara also reported that she and Laura recently attended a meeting with the Commissioner's staff, the County Attomey, and the Commission Auditor to discuss details of what the ordinance would say. Mara mentioned that the Mayor had come back with a memorandum about pay equity for County employees in response to Commissioner Sally Heyman’s resolution passed last November. The Mayor reported in the memorandum that the County's Human Resources Dept. does not have the capability to do the requested analysis and recommended using an outside consultant to do the analysis Laura then briefly explained that the CEDAW ordinance proposes that the County do an extensive analysis of women in several areas and that a fiscal impact analysis of the proposed ordinance has to be done. So, the Commission Auditor may recommend that an outside consultant be hired, similar to what happened with Commissioner Heyman’s resolution. New Business. Mara reminded everyone that Women’s Equality Day is coming up on August 26. Laura, Maribel Balbin from the League of Women Voters, and Anne MeCudden from The Women's Park are meeting next week to start planning an event for the observance. Mara reminded everyone to file their financial disclosure form by July 1 Viviana moved to approve the meeting agenda and Linda seconded the motion. The motion passed and the agenda was approved. Kit moved to approve the minutes of the meeting of 04/22/15 and Linda seconded the motion. The motion passed and the minutes were approved. Going back to the report of the Events and Fundraising Committee, Noreen moved to approve the Committee's recommendation to award the scholarships to Shaquelle Ballou and Michelle Rodriguez. Beverly seconded the motion, and the motion passed. Attendance at Community Events. Kit attended the “Women Up Front” event in Little Haiti this past Sunday. Noreen attended the recent E-Merge tech conference, where there was a lot of focus on women in technology. Marie Woodson reported that May is Haitian Heritage Month so she attended a couple of events at the Haitian Cultural Center. ‘The meeting adjourned at 7:35 p.m. Laura Morilla RecorderMIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSION FOR WOMEN 111 N.W. 1* Street, Suite 1034, Miami, FL 33128 Minutes of Meeting of July 22, 2015 Present: Leah Blumenfeld, Marie Eloi, Monica Interian, Viviana Jordan, Tara Leighton, Noreen Lagault Mendoza, Beverly Nixon, Kit Rafferty, Linda Robinson, Raisa Sequeira, and Mara Zapata Excused: _Clora Adkins, Sharon Kendrick-Johnson, Phyllis Sloan-Simpkins, Marie Woodson, and Dona Zemo Absent: Nordis Foreade and Francesca Menes Guests: Lynette Long, Darlene Hollander, Maribel Balbin, Amy Carswell, Retha Boone, and a member of the Black Affairs Advisory Board (BAAB) Staff: Laura Morilla and Vanessa Ortega Chair Mara Zapata commenced the meeting at 5:45 p.m. and welcomed everyone. Raisa moved to approve the agenda and Viviana seconded the motion. ‘The motion passed and the agenda was approved. Leah moved to approve the minutes of the CFW meeting of 06/24/15 and Viviana seconded the motion. The motion passed and the minutes were approved. Then there was a presentation by Lynette Long, Ph.D., the president of Equal Visibility Everywhere (EVE), about her efforts to replace one of Florida’s statues in National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol. Dr. Long would like to replace the statue of Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith with one of Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Dr. Long reviewed a power point presentation during the discussion. Dr. Long explained that the project started back in 2009 or 2010 when she took a tour of the U.S. Capitol and noticed the lack of women represented in the statues placed by the states in National Statuary Hall. She then established EVE to try to correct this situation. Dr. Long tried to get the statues of Harriet Beecher Stowe in Ohio and Harriet Tubman in Maryland but was not successful. She said that now there is an opportunity in Florida with Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Dr. Long then showed her power point presentation about National Statuary Hall, the process for getting a statue replaced, and about Marjory Stoneman Douglas in particular. The entire collection in Statuary Hall is 100 statues with each state getting having two statues; 39 are in the actual Hall and the others are scattered around the U.S. Capitol. A law passed in 2000 allows states to replace their statues. The most recent woman added was in 2009 when Alabama installed a statue of Helen Keller. A statue of Amelia Earhart will be going in for Kansas and California may be replacing the statue of Junipero Serra with Sally Ride, In order for Florida to place a statue of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Florida would have to take out one of the current statues. Dr. Long then answered questions from the CFW members and the CFW discussed the matter. Raisa moved that the CFW support Dr. Long's proposal to replace the statue of Confederate general Edmund Kirby Smith with a statue of Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Linda seconded the motion, and the motion passed.Page 2 ‘Then there was another presentation by Retha Boone, the Director of the Black Affairs Advisory Board (BAAB) about the “Women of a New Tribe” exhibit that BAB is planning to display in the lobby of the Stephen P. Clark Center. BAAB would like to do the exhibit in March 2016 for Women’s History Month, alongside the CFW's Women’s History Month display, so Retha explained the project to the CFW. About 50 local women would be featured in a photographic exhibit. Noreen moved that the CFW support the exhibit. Viviana seconded the motion, and the motion passed. The Committee Reports were then presented. Bylaws Committee. The CFW considered the proposed amendment that would include the language about waiving the Miami-Dade County residency requirement. This waiver is already in the CFW’s governing ordinance so this amendment would just add it to the Bylaws. Tara moved to approve the amendment to the Bylaws and Leah seconded the motion. The motion passed and the Bylaws were amended. Human Trafficking Committee. Linda gave the Committee report. Linda stated that she has attended about cight events in the last year and that the two priorities that she keeps hearing about are public awareness/education and the need for a shelter for victims. Linda has also spoken to Kathy Fernandez Rundle about this issue. Linda reported that she recently attended the Steering Committee meeting for a human trafficking symposium that Florida National University is planning in October. About 60 people were there and another meeting is planned in August. Linda is suggesting that town hall meetings on human trafficking be held in each County Commission district. Some of the speakers from the symposium could also be asked to speak at these town hall meetings. Linda reported that the organizers of the Florida National University symposium are asking the CF W to support the symposium and allow them to use the CFW logo on materials. Linda so moved. Marie Eloi seconded the motion, and the motion passed. Linda is also going to a meeting of all the mayors in District 8 to talk about this. Kit suggested going to where people are, like Miami-Dade College. Mara said that it was important to be in all different areas of the County. Noreen suggested involving the other local women’s commissions. Raisa said that the CFW should promote this on social media and suggested that the CFW have a google page, which she could set up. Raisa will be added to the CFW’s Communications Committee. Marie Eloi mentioned that a presentation to the Haitian-American Nurses Association would be good. Kit moved to approve the Human Trafficking Committee report and take action as recommended. Linda seconded the motion, and the motion passed. Domestic Violence Committee. Monica reviewed the written Committee report. Monica stated that the CEW needs to be out in the field and interact with survivors, in addition to supporting legislation. Monica would also like to see the municipalities doing more awareness. Kit suggested highlighting the County's domestic violence leave ordinance, which was the first of its kind in the nation. The CFW can also talk to Representative Jose Javier Rodriguez to see if he is going to file the bill regarding unemployment compensation for DV survivors. ‘The CFW then had a long discussion about the Committee's recommendation to try to change Domestic Violence “Awareness Month from October ta July. Monica is concerned that October is the designated month for so many causes that it takes away from domestic violence awareness. Kit suggested that the CFW find out when these year-round DV events occur and support and publicize them. Beverly asked how the CFW could change this nationally since Domestie Violence Awareness Month is celebrated in October around the country. Noreen said that she would like to table this item to the next meeting to be able to give this some thought. Leah agreed. Regarding resolutions by the County Commission and other governmental bodies, it’s nice to pass resolutions but what are they actually going to do about the problem. This matter will be on the agenda for the September 30" meeting and hopefully the Committee can meet before then.Page 3 Old Business. Laura reported that she was part of a recent conference call about The Envelope Please Initiative that the CFW is supporting. Also on that call were Fatima Perez, the Chief of Staff to Miami Beach Mayor Phillip Levine, Erin Stein, the Executive Director of A Woman’s Nation, Bill Talbert from the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors’ Bureau, and Wendy Kallergis from the Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association. The purpose of the call was to discuss strategy for getting more hotels to participate. A visit to Miami by Maria Shriver later in the year or around the time of Art Basel is a possibility. Mara reported that the CEDAW ordinance passed the Economic Prosperity Committee and will be on the County Commission agenda in September for final passage. New Business. Mara announced that the next on the road meeting is on October 28" at 6 p.m. in Miami Springs at the Curtiss Mansion, Mara reported that the 2016 In the Company of Women awards reception will be on March 3, 2016 at the Coral Gables Country Club. The nomination period is from September 8 to October 16. Attendance at Community Events. Noreen reported that she attended Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava’s South Dade Summit and also a tech summit at the Haitian Heritage Museum. Raisa reported that she attended the CFW’s June 30" scholarship presentation, the July 9" public hearing on the CEDAW ordinance, and the July 18" open house at the Safespace Thrift Store. Raisa also attended a July 7" event at the Woman’s Club of Hialeah and became a member. Mara announced that Shaquelle Ballou, one of the CFW scholarship recipients, sent the CFW a thank you card. ‘The meeting adjourned at 7:50 p.m. Laura Morilla RecorderMIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSION FOR WOMEN 111 N.W. 1" Street, Suite 1034, Miami, FL 33128 Minutes of Meeting of September 30, 2015 ged b2- neous Ape tana. Present: Clora Adkins, Leah Blumenfeld, Monica Interian, Viviana Jordan, Beverly Nixon, Linda Robinson, Maria Santamaria, Raisa Sequeira, Marie Woodson, and Mara Zapata Exeused: | Nordis Forcade, Marie Eloi, Sharon Kendrick-Johnson, Tara Leighton, Noreen Lagault Mendoza, Francesca Menes, Kit Rafferty, and Dona Zemo Absent: Phyllis Sloan-Simpkins Guests: Marie Osbome, Chief of Juvenile Division from the Public Defender’s Office; Kimberly Rivera and Anthony from the FIU School of Communications Staff: Laura Morilla and Sussy Toyos Chair Mara Zapata commenced the meeting at 5:50 p.m. and welcomed everyone. Raisa moved to approve the agenda and Viviana seconded the motion. ‘The motion passed and the agenda was approved. Leah moved to approve the minutes of the CFW meeting of 06/24/15 and Viviana seconded the motion. The motion passed and the minutes were approved. First there was a presentation by Marie Osborne, Chief of Juvenile for the Office of the Public Defender, about human trafficking. Maria explained that up until four or five years ago, the girls would be arrested for prostitution, theft, ete. Now, after the Safe Harbor Act in Florida, law enforcement may treat the child as a victim; this is a new way of looking at the girls. Marie said that the justice system is black and white, but that these girls’ situations are not black and white; experience shows that relapse is inevitable, that running away is inevitable, and that “Stockholm Syndrome” is common. It may take years for the girls to get out of the cycle and they are more successful when they do it voluntarily. Marie further explained that five years ago these girls were defendants so they got lawyers assigned to them. Now, as victims, they do not get representation. Marie believes that children who have been identified as human trafficking victims should have a lawyer appointed to them because the criminal justice agenda is contrary to the agenda of making the victim better and healing her; there are built-in tensions. Per Marie, there are several unintended consequences: 1. No appointed lawyer to counsel the minor in the legal ‘arena so the minor negotiates on her own in a bit of a coercive environment; the potential for leveraging criminal charges is always present. 2. Minor is typically treated as a dependent child so she gets placed in a shelter and ‘undergoes medical and psychological exams. These exams can self-incriminate the minor. 3. Frequently in a diversion program, the minor agrees to an intervention program, and there is no legal privilege when the child tells something to a counselor or social worker in the intervention program. These people, whom the girls are supposed to trust, are subject to subpoena can be forced to tell the police what the girl said. 4. If the minor does hot agree to the diversion program or fails the program, the girl can be charged. 5, Requirement of mandatory reporting of abuse, The minor may not be ready to go public; she may just now have the nerve to confide in a ‘social worker, who then is obligated to report the abuse to the hotline. So the trust has been broken. Human trafficking victims form coping mechanisms for street survival that are terrible for truth telling purposes. Trauma literally also alters your brain, So the conclusion is that the timetable of the child’s readiness to testify isPage 2 almost never in syne with the judicial system's requirements. In addition, in Florida, the defense has the right to depose the witness before the criminal trial; this is a dress rehearsal of what the trial is going to be. There is a growing movement to change this so that the minor does not have to give a deposition before a trial, Marie also asked about what is being done to build awareness in men. Education of the “consumer” is important because they should know that they are contributing to slavery. Linda suggested that the CFW go through the County Commissioners, who can then go to their local mayors to do education and outreach. Marie then answered questions from the CFW members. ‘At this point there was a quorum. Viviana moved to approve the agenda and Linda seconded the motion. The motion passed and the agenda was approved. Leah moved to approve the minutes of the meeting of 07/22/15 and Linda seconded the motion with corrections to the minutes, The motion passed. Then there was an additional correction by Monica. Viviana moved to approve the amended minutes and Leah seconded the motion. The motion passed and the amended minutes were approved. The Committee Reports were then presented. Human Trafficking Committee. Mara reminded everyone about the human trafficking forum on October 8" at Florida National University. The CFW is a supporter and collaborator of the forum. Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee was created to out together the slate of officers for the November elections. The members of the Committee are: Marie Woodson, Linda Robinson, Beverly Nixon, and ‘Maria Santamaria. A fifth member may be added before the committee meeting. The committee will meet before the October CFW meeting. Laura will send out an email to all CFW members to see who is interested in running for office. Legislative Committee. Leah reviewed the written committee report. Leah will present at the November Miami- Dade Legislative Delegation public hearing on behalf of the CFW. She will focus on the economic bills because the presentation is only two minutes long. Leah reported that last night she also served on a panel discussion about the ERA. Old Business. Mara thanked everyone who attended the Women’s Equality Day event. It was a great event, very well attended. C-SPAN recorded the event and it will air this Saturday and will be available for viewing online after Saturday. ‘Mara reminded everyone that the nominations deadline for the In the Company of Women awards is October 16. Mara stated that the CEDAW ordinance passed the County Commission. The Commission Auditor will collect data in three different areas and the CFW needs to tell the Commission Auditor which area to look at first. The CEW decided to follow the recommendation of the Executive Committee and tell the Auditor to research in the following order: Economic Development; Health and Safety; and Education. A CEDAW committee was created and the members are: Raisa, Leah, Linda, Marie Woodson, Clora, and Monica. New Business. Raisa mentioned that the Woman's Club of Hialeah was having a breast cancer fundraiser tomorrow and that tickets were available at the door. Mara reminded everyone that the next on the road meeting is on October 28" at 6 p.m. in Miami Springs at the Curtiss Mansion, 500 Deer Run. The Curtiss Mansion is a wonderful restored historic site next to the golf course.Page 3 Laura reported that she attended a meeting this morning with local women elected officials and international ‘women visitors from various countries in the Middle East. Laura had been asked to set up the meeting a few weeks ago by Global Ties Miami, which hosts these international visitors who are invited to visit the U.S. by the State Department. Viviana asked if the CFW could request data from the Miami-Dade Police Department about domestic violence crimes by Commission districts, and also, if this data would include information from municipalities in the Commission districts. Maria Santamaria will try to get the data, Attendance at Community Events. Mara and Sharon attended the Doral Women’s Equality Day event. Raisa attended the Voices of Women event at FIU on August 22™. The meeting adjourned at 7:30 p.m. Laura Morilla RecorderMIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSION FOR WOMEN 111 N.W. 1* Street, Suite 1034, Miami, FL 33128 Minutes of Meeting of October 28, 2015 Present: Leah Blumenfeld, Odalys Dipp, Monica Interian, Viviana Jordan, Sharon Kendrick-Johnson, Tara Leighton, Noreen Lagault Mendoza, Beverly Nixon, Kit Rafferty, Linda Robinson, Maria ‘Santamaria, Raisa Sequeira, Mara Zapata, and Dona Zemo Excused: | Clora Adkins, Dama Aybar-Guardia, Marie Eloi, Francesca Menes, Phyllis Sloan-Simpkins, and Marie Woodson Guests: Commissioner Rebeca Sosa; Betty Aguirre, Chief of Staff for Commissioner Rebeca Sosa; Roslyn Buckner, Miami Springs Councilwoman; Alejandra Moreno, Chair of the Doral CFW; JoEllen Phillips from the Curtiss Mansion; Phoebe Zemo; Osvaldo Perez; Meagan Perez from Miami-Dade College; Ana from Miami-Dade College; Deborah Dion; Serena Perez; Dian Alarcon; Deborah Korge from the Women's Fund of Miami-Dade; and Ana Cruz Staff: Laura Morilla Chairwoman Mara Zapata commenced the meeting at 6:15 p.m. and welcomed everyone. The meeting was held at the Curtiss Mansion in Miami Springs, Mara opened up the public forum for comments from the public. County Commissioner Rebeca Sosa, who represents Miami Springs, made some remarks first. Commissioner Sosa thanked the CFW for having the meeting in Miami Springs in the beautiful and historic Curtiss Mansion Sosa said that she needed help with the issue of domestic violence and that she planned to introduce legislation addressing various aspects of the problem. Sosa said that services are good but that we need to start at the root of the problem with educating our children. Sosa also said that she would continue to fight for equal pay. She thanked the CFW members forall their hard work and time and invited the CFW to come to her with ideas ‘Then Mara recognized Councilwoman Roslyn Buckner from Miami Springs. Councilwoman Buckner is the only ‘woman on the City Council, and she made some brief remarks, Mara recognized Alejandra Moreno, the Chair of the Doral CFW, and Alejandra said a few words. JoEllen Phillips, Executive Director of the Curtiss Mansion, talked about the history and restoration of the Mansion and also talked about some of the personal accomplishments of Miami Springs founder Glen Curtiss. Cutiss taught the first U.S. woman pilot, the first licensed African American pilot, and the first Cuban Army pilot, ‘Then Mara introduced her sister, Ana Cruz, who is also an event planner. At this point, Mara retumed to the beginning of the agenda to get approval of the agenda and minutes. Leah moved to approve the meeting agenda and Sharon seconded the motion, The motion passed and the agenda was approved. Viviana moved to approve the minutes of the meeting of 09/30/15 and Linda seconded the motion. The motion passed and the minutes were approved.Y 4 And she also wants to help the CFW with the policy formulation, een Deborah Dion, from South Florida Voices for Working Families, talked about two proposed federal bills on paid sick leave and paid family leave. The federal Health Families Act would establish a national paid sick days Standard for workers who work in businesses with 15 or more employees. The Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act would insure that workers have some income during family or medical leave. Deborah Deborah stated that this was a health issue, benefit are low wage workers, mostly women, ‘She asked everyone to follow a script and call Senator Nelson to ask him to co-sponsor the bills. She also asked that everyone call Congressman Tim Murphy to ask him to co- Tranactatie ee aemt Obama is supportive of the paid sick days concept. Kit stated thatthe Lie the only industrialized country that does not offer paid leave Meagan Perez, a student at Miami-Dade College who is taking a public speaker clas, made some remarks and asked a question as part of an assignment for her class, AW, Linda mentioned human trafficking, and and the YWPA conference. Monica mentioned that the CEW was involved in addressing the problem of domestic violence. Noreen mentioned her, Geek? Okre organization and the recent scholarships that the CFW gave to two graduating seniors at the YWPa Odalys mentioned that there are several foundations that provide scholarships to girls, ‘AMsiandra Moreno, Chair of the Doral CFW, said that they recently sereened a film, “Pray the Devil Back to Hell,” and that they would be happy to lend the film to the CFW for a screening. 4 man in the audience stated that he was concemed about girls involved in violent relationships and that there Should be a website where young women could check the backgrounds of potential dates; similar to what employers do. Raisa mentioned that there is a new app called “Aspire News” that is an intervention/recording and contact for emergencies, but itis disguised,- Page 3 The Committee Reports were then presented. Nominating Committee. Mara quickly reviewed the Nominating Committee report. The recommended slate of officers is: Mara Zapata for Chair; Sharon Kendrick-Johnson for First Vice Chair; Viviana Jordan for Second Vice Chair; Leah Blumenfeld for Member at Large; and Monica Interian for Member at Large. The election of officers will be held at the November 18" meeting. Legislative Committee. Leah referred everyone to the written report. Bills are in committee and Leah will make the presentation to the Miami-Dade Legislative Delegation. Kit offered a word of caution with regard to the alimony bill, SB 250, because it would require shared custody no matter what. Noreen raised the issue of the Obama administration’s rule reclassifying workers and overtime. Domestic Violence Committee. Monica reported that she and Laura recently visited The Lodge domestic violence shelter and met with the CEO. The shelter has $6 beds and half of the people there are children. The shelter is funded by the Domestic Violence Oversight Board and the food and beverage tax. Old Business. The CFW discussed changing the date of the January 2016 meeting so that members can attend the Florida COSW Women’s Hall of Fame ceremony and Women’s Day at the Capitol on Jan. 27-28, 2016, in Tallahassee. Dona moved to change the meeting date from January 27, 2016, to January 20, 2016. Odalys seconded the motion, and the motion passed. Mara reported that there were 63 nominations for the In the Company of Women 2016 awards. The Selection Committee is meeting on November 20" and the awards reception is March 3, 2016. New Business/Attendance at Community Events. Linda seid that she attended a meeting recently where she learned that the National Council of Jewish Women is going to be going into schools to talk to the PTAs and teachers about human trafficking. Linda attended a meeting with Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava and all her board appointees. Noreen also attended the meeting Raisa said that she would be attending a domestic violence educational event atthe University of Miami on Friday. Raisa also explained that she is a sister of a sorority that is having the “Art of Surviving Gala” on November 20" at FIU, The event is a fundraiser for the Safespace Foundation. They need help with sponsorship and it is a good cause. There are different levels of sponsorship and Raisa would like for the CFW to co-sponsor the event. Noreen moved to sponsor the event in the amount of $250. Odalys seconded the motion, and the motion passed. ‘The meeting adjourned at 7:45 p.m. Laura Morilla Recorder