Commission for Women and Girls: Community Survey
Findings
City Council Meeting - July 18, 2023
Background
2 Sept. 7, 2021 Jan.-Mar. 2022 Apr.-Aug. 2022 Sept.-Dec. 2022 Jan.-Mar. 2023 Jul. 18, 2023 City Council
directs City
Manager to
create a plan for
a Commission on
Women and Girls.
Staff provided an
update on plan to
establish Commission.
Received Capacity-
Building Grant and
one-time funding to
support community
engagement.
Office of Equity Hired
Community
Engagement Program
Specialist and
developed inclusive
data collection tool.
Launched Comprehensive
Community Survey to help
inform the development of the
Commission. Survey closed Jan.
30, 2023.
Mar. 7, 2023
Staff provided an update
to City Council on efforts
to establish the
Commission, including
preliminary Survey results.
Staff present
Community
Survey findings to
City Council. First
reading of
Ordinance to
establish
Commission.
All references to 'women and girls' includes those who identify as female: cis and trans, and those who identify as gender- expansive: non-binary, non-conforming, and genderqueer. 3 In partnership with an Ad Hoc Community Advisory Team, staff created a Community Survey to help inform the development of the Commission. The Survey treats the respondent as a subject-matter expert on the needs and aspirations of Long Beach women and girls. Participants were asked to identify policies, programs, and resources that align with six overarching quality of life indicators:
• Intersectionality - The way our social identities overlap based on gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, class, etc.
• Economic Stability - Having the resources necessary for a healthy life, such as affordable housing, living wages, worker protections, healthcare, and reliable transportation. • Health - The complete state of physical, mental, and social well-being. • Family - Intimate and domestic connections like marriage, living together, and other economic and social responsibilities.
• Connectedness - Social and resource connection, such as community, social networks, and access to support, feeling seen, heard, and valued.
• Safety - Efforts to reduce violence against women, including emotional, environmental, physical, sexual, mental, or other harm.
The Survey was open from Nov. 23, 2022-Jan. 30, 2023.
About the Long Beach Women and Girls’ Community Survey
4 • Addressing the Digital Divide: The Survey was
available online using the Qualtrics survey
platform and in-person open Long Beach
Public Libraries and King, Chavez, and
Houghton Parks.
• Meeting the Linguistic Needs of the
Community: The Survey was available in
English, Spanish, Khmer, and Tagalog.
• Partnering with Community Organizations:
Equity Staff tabled various public events,
corresponded with, and presented to over
20 women-led and serving organizational
partners to encourage participation.
• Incentivizing Participation: Participants who
completed the Survey received a $20 gift
card or electronic incentive.
Outreach & Engagement
Long Beach Women and Girls’ Community Survey
5 Final Report evaluates 743 valid online survey submissions including 42 paper surveys. • Participants represented all Zip Codes in Long Beach. • Ages ranged from 12-75 years or older.
• Racial/ethnic identities of survey participants were:
• Asian/Pacific Islander (11.1%)
• Black/African American (11.9%)
• Hispanic/Latinx (28.9%)
• White (38.1%)
• 2.1% identified as Middle Eastern, Southwest Asian, or North African • 2.7% identified as Native American, Alaskan Native, or Indigenous • 159 participants indicated living with a disability. Most indicated that they lived with a physical (31.4%) or mental disability (23.9%).
• Most participants indicated their gender expression as female (89.5%) compared to male (4.0%), non-binary or gender expansive (1.4%), transgender (2.4%), or two-spirit (0.4%).
Summary of Participation
Long Beach Women and Girls’ Community Survey
6 Dr. Amber Johnson and a research team from California State University, Long Beach analyzed the Survey responses, providing a quantitative and qualitative review, which includes demographic indicators, participants’ level of agreement with the quality of life statements stratified by race/ethnicity and by zip code, and priorities identified by the participants.
• Quality of Life Indicators consisted of statements which participants had the opportunity to disagree (1), somewhat disagree (2), somewhat agree (3), and agree (4) with.
• Responses were averaged to determine how much participants agreed with each statement and were reported as mean scores (M) ranging from 1-4. • Responses to open-ended questions for each quality of life indicator, were coded to identify six primary themes and four recommendations to guide the forthcoming Commission.
Data Analysis
Long Beach Women and Girls’ Community Survey
7 Long Beach Women and Girls’ Community Survey Findings 8 • Economic Support - pay equity, career support, childcare support, and housing support
• Safety - domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault, self- defense, and ensuring safe communities
• Health Access and Equity - mental health support,
reproductive care, specialized clinics, free and/or
affordable healthcare, more diverse and inclusive medical professionals, etc.
• Support Under-Resourced Communities - gender equity,
language equity, race-related concerns, support for
undocumented individuals, and support for youth.
• Support and Develop Programming - supporting existing programs and developing additional programs geared
toward women and girls
• Educational Support - mental health education, sex
education STEM education, financial literacy, and career education
Participants’ responses to the open-ended questions aided identifying six primary themes:
Long Beach Women and Girls’ Community Survey Findings
9 Recommendation 1: Employ multi-level strategies
that facilitate individual, community, and structural
changes that promote economic equity for women
and girls in Long Beach.
Recommendation 2: Develop Comprehensive
gender-responsive policies and practices that
promote the safety of women and girls in both
public and private spaces in Long Beach.
Recommendation 3: Promote equitable access to
inclusive healthcare services, health education, and
support to improve the quality of life for women and
girls in Long Beach.
Recommendation 4: Expand and create
opportunities to promote gender equity in
education for women and girls in Long Beach.
Purpose: The Commission for Women and Girls serves as an advisory body to the City Council on establishing and maintaining equal rights, equity, social justice, representation, and opportunities for all regarding gender, specifically serving women and girls who live or work in Long Beach. This includes all who live as female- identified: cis and trans, and those who identify as gender-expansive, non-binary, non-conforming, and genderqueer.
Purpose, Duties, and Membership
Establishing the Commission for Women and Girls
10 Duties
• To gather, assess and evaluate the needs and
concerns of women and girls in Long Beach within
the broader context of gender equity;
• To inform and advise the City Council on issues and
inequities affecting women and girls in Long Beach:
o Creating meaningful changes in the conditions,
policies, and programs that lift women and girls,
ensuring gender equality;
o Recommending policies, programs, and
practices that promote and ensure equal rights
and opportunities for all genders;
o Protecting and promoting visibility for women
who are mothers, caregivers, and older adults.
o Identifying matters of discrimination, prejudice,
health, and safety of all women and girls;
o Encouraging the participation, visibility, and
leadership of all women and girls.
• To advocate for policy change using an
intersectional feminist lens, ensuring that women's
overlapping identities — including but not limited to
race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, disability,
class, religion, and marital status — are considered in decision-making related to City policies, programs,
and resource allocation;
• To consult and coordinate with other public
agencies, commissions, and organizations serving
women and girls on matters relevant to the
Commission;
• To conduct studies and surveys on the status of
women and girls related to gender equity, as
requested by the Mayor and City Council, and
advise thereafter;
• To submit an annual report of Commission activities
and recommendations to the Mayor and City
Council.
Purpose, Duties, and Membership
Establishing the Commission for Women and Girls
11 Membership
The Commission for Women and Girls shall consist of eleven (11) commissioners, who demonstrate a commitment to advocating and advancing the well-being of Long Beach women and girls. It is the intent that the Commissioners appointed shall be from a diverse cross-section of Long Beach including women of all racial backgrounds, ethnicities, sexual orientation, age, disability, class, religion, and partner status. • One (1) commission member appointed to represent each of the nine (9) City Council districts
• Two (2) at large members.
Members will be nominated by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council.
Purpose, Duties, and Membership
Establishing the Commission for Women and Girls
12 Fiscal Impact
Long Beach Commission on Women and Girls’ Community Survey 13 FUNDING SOURCE PURPOSE
$25,000 City of Long Beach FY 21 Year-
End Funds
Initial Study: Survey data analysis and
Culminating Report
$25,000 CCSWG 2022-2023 Women’s
Recovery Response Grant
Community engagement including participant
incentives, community partnerships, language
access, outreach and marketing
$30,112 FY 23 Structural Funding Staff Support
If the City Council moves ahead with this item as recommended, the City Manager will be seeking an additional $55,295 in structural funding for a Clerk Typist III to provide administrative support to the Commission in the FY 24 budget and identify solutions to address this additional fiscal need.
Thank you
Teresa Chandler, MPH
Deputy City Manager
City Manager’s Office
[email protected]
Tony Viramontes
Equity and Community Engagement Program Specialist
City Manager’s Office, Office of Equity
[email protected]
Alanah T. Grant
Equity Officer
City Manager’s Office, Office of Equity
[email protected]
14