| REPORT: |
Chairman Gonzalez introduced the special presentation by the Commission for Women, noting that the body may now be designated the Commission for Women and Families.
Ms. Josephine Novo, Legislative Chair and District 13 appointee to the Commission for Women, addressed the Committee and presented the Commission's annual report. She explained that the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) was first adopted by the United Nations in 1979 and had since been adopted by 189 of the 194 member nations. Ms. Novo advised that the Miami-Dade County Board enacted an ordinance formally adopting the Convention and its principles in September 2015. She noted that the Commission for Women partnered with the Commission Auditor's Office and Florida International University (FIU) to produce the annual Status of Women Report, which collected data across four areas: safety, health, education, and economics. Based on that data and input from community stakeholders, the Commission developed the CEDAW Report, which identified three key policy areas and offered recommendations to the Board.
On the first area, maternal mortality and chronic illness, Ms. Novo reported that in 2023 there were 765 severe maternal morbidity cases per 1,000 hospitalizations, representing a 7.7% increase from 2022. She noted that the United States continued to have among the highest maternal mortality rates of any developed nation and highlighted gender-specific health disparities. As an example, she stated that women were significantly more likely to die from Alzheimer's disease, with 717 women compared to 286 men, and were also more susceptible to osteoporosis and other conditions. Ms. Novo stated that the Commission for Women recommended that the Board work with the Consortium for a Healthier Miami-Dade to establish a women's health subcommittee focused on maternal mortality, chronic illness, and strategic outreach. She added that the Commission continued to urge the Public Health Trust to develop a five-year action plan addressing the underlying causes of maternal mortality and outlining actionable next steps.
On the second area, violence against women, Ms. Novo reported that Miami-Dade County had the second highest rate of human trafficking cases in the state of Florida, with 2,137 reported instances and many more believed to go unreported. She noted that women represented 89.6% of all sexual violence victims in the County. Ms. Novo advised that the Commission for Women offered three recommendations:
• A follow-up on previously passed legislation directing the identification of human trafficking hotspots and the allocation of corresponding funds. Ms. Novo noted that the legislation had been passed two years prior, but that the required report remained in draft form following the transition from MDPD to the Sheriff's Office, and that resources could not be allocated until the report was formally submitted through the legislative process;
• That the Board host a forum or special meeting to discuss the report's findings in partnership with agencies and community groups, including the State Attorney's Office (SAO), the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office (MDSO), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and others deemed appropriate by the Commission, with the goal of developing coordinated action plans and identifying potential law enforcement initiatives, such as greater enforcement of stay-away orders for domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual assault victims; and
• That the Board allocate funding to install updated signage in women's restrooms throughout the County, displaying current hotline numbers for domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual assault resources. Ms. Novo emphasized that women's restrooms provided a rare moment in which victims may be temporarily separated from their aggressors and able to seek help.
On the final area, economic opportunity, Ms. Novo noted that women's labor force participation continued to lag behind that of men. She reported that women represented 44% of full-time workers yet faced a 12% pay disparity, amounting to an average earnings gap of $6,580 per year. She requested that the BCC explore legally permissible strategies within the County's procurement framework to incentivize vendors to support maternal health, community well-being, and women's economic participation, such as by awarding RFP points to vendors that incorporated support services related to maternal health and workplace safety. Ms. Novo concluded by thanking the Commission's legislative committee, Director Rose Martin, and the members of the Safety and Health Committee for their time and consideration.
Commissioner Lopez thanked Ms. Novo for the presentation and asked whether the maternal mortality and chronic illness data had been disaggregated by race and ethnicity. Ms. Novo acknowledged that the prior year's report had included that breakdown, but that the data provided for the current year's report had not, which limited the Commission to working with general figures. She noted that the most recent report was expected to include race and ethnicity data.
Commissioner Lopez emphasized the importance of disaggregated data in identifying where services were most needed and expressed appreciation that the Commission intended to include that breakdown going forward. She then referenced her 15 years of experience working on human trafficking issues, including human trafficking legislation she passed as a state legislator that focused on the massage industry, where an increase in cases had been observed.
Commissioner Lopez asked whether the administration had data on human trafficking cases categorized by industry, in order to identify the sectors where incidents were rising most sharply.
Ms. Novo confirmed that the current report did not include an industry breakdown. She explained that the report was produced by the Commission Auditor's Office within the parameters of its available funding, and that the data presented was limited to what that office had collected. Ms. Novo noted that while partner organizations had raised similar concerns with the Commission, she was constrained to presenting only the data contained within the report.
Commissioner Lopez suggested that the County coordinate with law enforcement, whose arrest records could identify the industries most affected. She referenced her prior legislative work, which had uncovered a loophole in state statutes related to the regulation of massage parlors, a sector where human trafficking had been particularly prevalent.
Commissioner Lopez noted that colleagues in the state House had also flagged nail salons and other industries as areas of concern. She recommended that future efforts include collaboration with both law enforcement and community-based organizations that work directly with trafficking victims, as those groups would have firsthand knowledge of where victims originated and which industries were involved.
Vice Chairman Garcia commended Ms. Novo on the report and her presentation before turning to the topic of communicable diseases. He noted that Miami-Dade County continued to lead the nation in new Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) cases, with Hispanic and African American women leading in new infections.
Vice Chairman Garcia asked whether the Commission had examined those numbers and whether it could develop a plan to bring these conversations directly to women in the community to ensure access to testing and resources. He acknowledged the significant work already done in partnership with the Department of Health, but characterized the issue as requiring an all-hands-on-deck response and suggested that it be taken up as a formal charge of the Commission.
Ms. Novo confirmed that the report included data on communicable disease rates and noted that the full booklets had been distributed to committee members. She agreed that it was a worthy area for further development and expressed support for expanding the Commission's work in that direction.
Vice Chairman Garcia emphasized that the disparity could not continue to be overlooked, describing the rates among women in the community as an outlier that demanded a stronger coordinated response. He suggested that the Commission begin formal discussions on a targeted plan, noting that while the report included overall sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and communicable disease figures, a more focused conversation specifically on HIV and its impact on women in Miami-Dade was warranted.
Chairman Gonzalez thanked his colleagues for their input and thanked Ms. Novo for an informative presentation. |
