OUR IMPACT
Closing the Gender Wage Gap - Free Salary Negotiation Workshops
In partnership with the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the Friends want to offer salary negotiation workshops for 20,000 women so they can gain skills to become financially independent. The FREE workshops are available to all women, regardless of age and at any career level. Women are trained to expertly negotiate their own salary and benefits and learn
To learn more about the San Francisco Equal Pay Initiative, click here.
In partnership with the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the Friends want to offer salary negotiation workshops for 20,000 women so they can gain skills to become financially independent. The FREE workshops are available to all women, regardless of age and at any career level. Women are trained to expertly negotiate their own salary and benefits and learn
- How to identify and articulate their personal value
- How to develop an arsenal of persuasive responses and other negotiation strategies
- How to conduct objective market research to benchmark a target salary and benefits
- About the wage gap including its long-term consequences
To learn more about the San Francisco Equal Pay Initiative, click here.
Recognizing Exceptional Women and Allies
The CEDAW is an international human rights treaty providing a universal definition of discrimination against women and brings attention to issues concerning women’s human rights. The Friends celebrate exceptional individuals who exemplify one or more of the CEDAW principles.
Countries that ratify CEDAW are mandated to condemn all forms of discrimination against women and girls and to ensure equality for women and girls in the civil, political, economic, social and cultural arenas. The United Nations General Assembly adopted CEDAW in 1979 and President Carter signed the treaty on behalf of the United States in 1980, but the United States Senate has not yet ratified CEDAW.
In 1995, the women's community in San Francisco began to organize around how to bring CEDAW principles to a local context. On October 30, 1997, a consortium of community organizations, the Commission on the Status of Women, the Human Rights Commission, and Board of Supervisors President Barbara Kaufman held a hearing on the local implications of CEDAW. The testimony at the hearing demonstrated that women and girls continue to face discrimination in the areas of economic development and employment, violence against women and girls, and health care. On November 10, 1997, the Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 1021-97, supporting the local implementation of the underlying principles of CEDAW and urging the United States Senate to ratify CEDAW. On November 17, 1997, Mayor Willie Brown approved Resolution No. 1021-97. San Francisco was the first city to adopt CEDAW on a local level and has inspired cities through the US to adopt CEDAW since 1997.
The FRIENDS honors individuals and organizations who promote the principles of CEDAW at annual CEDAW Women's Human Rights Awards celebration. To learn more about how you can participate in our annual fundraising gala and for a list of past honorees, click here.
Countries that ratify CEDAW are mandated to condemn all forms of discrimination against women and girls and to ensure equality for women and girls in the civil, political, economic, social and cultural arenas. The United Nations General Assembly adopted CEDAW in 1979 and President Carter signed the treaty on behalf of the United States in 1980, but the United States Senate has not yet ratified CEDAW.
In 1995, the women's community in San Francisco began to organize around how to bring CEDAW principles to a local context. On October 30, 1997, a consortium of community organizations, the Commission on the Status of Women, the Human Rights Commission, and Board of Supervisors President Barbara Kaufman held a hearing on the local implications of CEDAW. The testimony at the hearing demonstrated that women and girls continue to face discrimination in the areas of economic development and employment, violence against women and girls, and health care. On November 10, 1997, the Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 1021-97, supporting the local implementation of the underlying principles of CEDAW and urging the United States Senate to ratify CEDAW. On November 17, 1997, Mayor Willie Brown approved Resolution No. 1021-97. San Francisco was the first city to adopt CEDAW on a local level and has inspired cities through the US to adopt CEDAW since 1997.
The FRIENDS honors individuals and organizations who promote the principles of CEDAW at annual CEDAW Women's Human Rights Awards celebration. To learn more about how you can participate in our annual fundraising gala and for a list of past honorees, click here.
Fellowship Program
We provide an annual grant to the Department on the Status of Women that supports three public policy fellows for a 10-month program. The program provides fellows with leadership development opportunities and meaningful work experience preparing them for their first post-graduation position. The fellows' work contributes to important research and advocacy that support the Department's and Commission's efforts in providing a better future for women and girls in San Francisco.
Gender Equality Principles Initiative
The Gender Equality Principles (GEP) Initiative is a groundbreaking assessment program helping organizations achieve gender equality through the implementations of the seven Gender Equality Principles. The initiative was developed by the Department on the Status of Women in partnership with Calvert Asset Management and Verite. This initiative is part of the on-going global effort to link women’s empowerment and corporate policies.
The Friends helped launched the GEP Initiative in 2010 and sponsors the annual Gender Equity Challenge Forum, presented by the Department on the Status of Women, which highlights Bay Area companies and model practices that exemplifies one of the seven Gender Equality Principles.
The Friends helped launched the GEP Initiative in 2010 and sponsors the annual Gender Equity Challenge Forum, presented by the Department on the Status of Women, which highlights Bay Area companies and model practices that exemplifies one of the seven Gender Equality Principles.
Freedom FWD
The FBI has identified the Bay Area as a major hub for child sex trafficking. The Friends serves as a fiscal sponsor for Freedom FWD which is a community project working to make San Francisco a model city for preventing sex trafficking and supporting survivors.
Anti-Human Trafficking
The Friends seeded the first Child Sex Trafficking Conference in 2013 that featured best practices, latest legislation and strategies for agencies and the community to better coordinate anti-trafficking efforts. Since then, the Friends has been a sponsor of the annual conference presented by the San Francisco Collaborative Against Human Trafficking (SFCAHT) - an organization with the support of the Mayor's Office with membership of over 30 agencies representing non-governmental organizations, government agencies, law enforcement agencies, service providers, educators, and community members. SFCAHT takes a zero tolerance stance on exploitation, violence, and human trafficking and is building a strong group of anti-trafficking advocates and experts in San Francisco.
The Friends also sponsors the annual Human Trafficking Poster Contest for teens organized by SFCAHT.
The FBI has identified the Bay Area as a major hub for child sex trafficking. The Friends serves as a fiscal sponsor for Freedom FWD which is a community project working to make San Francisco a model city for preventing sex trafficking and supporting survivors.
Anti-Human Trafficking
The Friends seeded the first Child Sex Trafficking Conference in 2013 that featured best practices, latest legislation and strategies for agencies and the community to better coordinate anti-trafficking efforts. Since then, the Friends has been a sponsor of the annual conference presented by the San Francisco Collaborative Against Human Trafficking (SFCAHT) - an organization with the support of the Mayor's Office with membership of over 30 agencies representing non-governmental organizations, government agencies, law enforcement agencies, service providers, educators, and community members. SFCAHT takes a zero tolerance stance on exploitation, violence, and human trafficking and is building a strong group of anti-trafficking advocates and experts in San Francisco.
The Friends also sponsors the annual Human Trafficking Poster Contest for teens organized by SFCAHT.
100 Girls Who One Day Will Influence the World
The 100 Girls Who One Day Will Influence the World Initiative is an outreach program for tween/teen girls who are interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM). Our past events include participating in the WorldWideWomen Girls Festival with over 5,000 in attendance and hosting Tea and Conversation with the First Lady of San Francisco where we provided mentoring on STEAM related careers, public speaking and communications, finance, and etiquette to over 300 girls from the Bay Area.
We also promote the Alliance for Girls Girls Services Directory, a valuable resource giving girls access to listings of activities, services and programs that could help her follow her dreams and encourage her to become whoever she wishes to be.
We also promote the Alliance for Girls Girls Services Directory, a valuable resource giving girls access to listings of activities, services and programs that could help her follow her dreams and encourage her to become whoever she wishes to be.