Versión en español a continuación. Commission for Women Meeting Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. Commission for Women be held Wednesday, June 2, 2021 with Social Distancing Modifications Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance (Tuesday, June 1, 2021 by noon). All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the June 2, 2021 Commission for Women Meeting, members of the public must: •Call or email the board liaison at (512) 974-3203 or jonathan.babiak@austintexas.gov no later than noon, on June 1, 2021. The following information is required: speaker name, item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, email address and telephone number (must be the same number that will be used to call into the meeting). •Once a request to speak has been made to the board liaison, the information to call on the day of the scheduled meeting will be provided either by email or phone call. •Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start time in order to speak, late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. •Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. •Handouts or other information may be emailed to jonathan.babiak@austintexas.gov by noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. •If the meeting is broadcast live, it may be viewed here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Reunión del Commission for Women Miércoles, Junio 2, 2021 a 9:00 a.m. La junta se llevará con modificaciones de distanciamiento social Se permitirán comentarios públicos por teléfono; no se permitirá ninguna entrada en persona. Todos los oradores deben registrarse con anticipación (Martes, Junio 1, 2021 antes del mediodía). Todos los comentarios públicos se producirán al comienzo de la reunión. Para hablar de forma remota en la reunión, los miembros del público deben: • Llame o envíe un correo electrónico al enlace de la junta en (512) 974-3203 or jonathan.babiak@austintexas.gov a más tardar al mediodía (el día antes de la reunión). Se requiere la siguiente información: nombre del orador, número (s) de artículo sobre el que desean hablar, si están a favor / en contra / neutral, dirección de correo electrónico (opcional) y un número de teléfono (debe ser el número que se utilizará para …
COMMISSION FOR WOMEN MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, June 2, 2021 COMMISSION FOR WOMEN MINUTES The Commission for Women convened for a regular meeting on Wednesday, June 2, 2021 via videoconference. REGULAR MEETING Wednesday, June 2, 2021 Chair Austen called the Commission Meeting to order at 9:04 a.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Rebecca Austen, Chair Flannery Bope, Vice Chair Julia Cuba Lewis Neva Fernandez Diana Melendez Pam Rattan Sarah Tober Commissioners Absent: Vanessa Bissereth Juliana Gonzales Hemali Patel Josie Serrata Staff in Attendance: Jonathan Babiak, Office of Civil Rights 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. Consider approval of the minutes from the Commission for Women regular meeting on May 5, 2021. The minutes from the regular meeting on May 5, 2021 were approved on Chair Austen’s motion, Vice Chair Bope’s second on a vote of 7-0, with Commissioners Bissereth, Gonzales, Patel, and Serrata absent. a. Discussion and possible action regarding updated from the following working 2. OLD BUSINESS groups: i. Homelessness Discussion was held. No action was taken. COMMISSION FOR WOMEN MEETING MINUTES ii. Safety iii. Health Discussion was held. No action was taken. Wednesday, June 2, 2021 The motion to approve a recommendation to the City Council regarding Local Menstrual Health Equity was made on Commissioner Tober’s motion, Commissioner Cuba-Lewis’ second on a vote of 7-0 with Commissioners Bissereth, Gonzales, Patel, and Serrata absent. iv. Recognition of Equity for Women and Girls Discussion was held. No action was taken. b. Discussion and possible action regarding updates from the Joint Inclusion Discussion was held. No action was taken. c. Discussion and possible action regarding updates from the Winter Storm Review Discussion was held. No action was taken. d. Discussion and possible action regarding 2021 Commission for Women Working Committee. Task Force Groups. Discussion was held. No action was taken. The motion to approve working group memberships was made on Chair Austen’s motion, Commissioner Rattan’s second on a vote of 6-0 with Commissioners Bissereth, Fernandez, Gonzales, Patel, and Serrata absent. e. Discussion and possible action regarding the recommendation for the City of Austin FY2022 budget. Discussion was held. No action was taken. 3. NEW BUSINESS a. Presentation by Amber Fogarty, Mobile Loaves and Fishes, followed by discussion and possible action regarding programs for women and children in the community experiencing homelessness. Discussion was held. No action was taken. COMMISSION FOR WOMEN MEETING MINUTES FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Wednesday, June 2, 2021 Presentation by Amber Price, Community …
COMMISSION FOR WOMEN RECOMMENDATION 20210602-02a Date: June 2, 2021 Subject: Local Menstrual Health Equity Motioned By: Sarah Tober Seconded By: Julia Cuba Lewis Recommendation to Council WHEREAS, the Commission for Women (“Commission”) of the City of Austin (“City”) serves as an advisory body that advocates for and inspires the City Council (“Council”) and City Manager to prioritize women’s quality of life, so that Austin becomes the most equitable city in the nation for women and girls; and WHEREAS, the average woman has her period for 2,535 days of her life, which is about seven years, and will spend about $18,000 on menstrual products. Tampons and pads are subject to sales tax and not covered by food stamps. For women below the poverty line, this means they may go without menstrual products, which may lead to missed work and school; and WHEREAS, the commission requested, via recommendation 20190814-0303 on July 10, 2019, funding be put in place for the development and enactment of a menstrual equity program in all City facilities, and worked with Austin Public Health to launch a menstrual equity pilot program at several City facilities, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Commission recommends that Council expand Austin Public Health’s original initiative through the following: 1. Providing free menstrual products in the following spaces: a. Showers and bathrooms accessible to people experiencing homelessness, such as those listed in the COA COVID-19 Basic Needs Map b. Austin Public Health facilities like the Neighborhood Centers and Sexual Health Clinic. c. All Austin Public Library Facilities d. All community recreation centers and summer camps 2. Providing period care kits through: a. Partnerships with nonprofits like The Other Ones Foundation (TOOF), extending hygiene services to include menstrual products. b. For people experiencing homelessness via the Homeless Outreach Street Team (HOST) and Austin Public Health facilities. c. The Mobile Van Program from the Health Equity Unit d. The Austin Shelter for Women and Children (ASWC) 1 3. Providing educational programming and awareness: a. Developing materials (ex: brochures) about menstruation and menstrual disorders. b. Reference list of Obstetricians and Gynecologists that accept indigent clients in Austin/Travis County area. c. Austin Public Library grow its inventory re: materials about menstruation and menstrual disorders Date of Approval: June 2, 2021 Record of the vote: Unanimous on a 7-0 vote, with four commissioners absent. Attest: Jonathan Babiak Jonathan Babiak, Staff Liaison 2
