Pima County Tucson Women's Commission

To expose, eliminate and prevent discrimination against women, and to assist women in attaining full equality of opportunity in all aspects of life.

The Women's Commission was established by Tucson City Council ordinance on December 8, 1975, after a year of work by a coalition of community women. Its mandate was to "expose, eliminate and prevent discrimination against women and to assist women in attaining full equality of opportunity in all aspects of life." The first meeting as a commission was held in the spring of 1976. In 1992, the City of Tucson and Pima County expanded the Women's Commission to become a joint city/county commission.

The Women's Commission is specifically empowered to represent the rights and needs of the women of Tucson and Pima County, to investigate women's issues, to conduct hearings, to compile reports, and to make recommendations to the mayor and City Council and to the Pima County Board of Supervisors. The Women's Commission is established as an official agency to promote equal opportunity in all aspects of life. More than 200 women and men of diverse backgrounds have served as commissioners since the inception of the Women's Commission.

Accomplishments Include:

Supported the birth of the Black Women's Task Force
Publication of a Sourcebook on Sexual Assault
Formation of Association of Women in the Trades, with an apprenticeship focus
Formation of Affiliation of Native American Women
Held public hearings, public forums, and created reports on issues affecting women, including health care availability, reproductive health rights, teenage pregnancy, domestic violence, sexism in the media, sex equity in employment and training, displaced homemakers, daycare funding, gender politics, reproductive rights, job search skills, comparable worth, sexual harassment, maternity leave, sexual assault, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and age discrimination
Held Women's Equality Celebrations on the anniversary of women getting the right to vote
Publication of the Clarion newspaper
Affirmative action skills training program for minority women
Educational series on Women in History
Native American Leadership Program
Provided office space to Wingspan in its early days
Created directory of women-owned businesses
Youth Commissioner Leadership Development
Provided seed money for Tucson Women's Foundation
Developed programs for incarcerated women
Operated many task forces that focused on problems such as violence against women, women and poverty, older women's needs, women and the workforce, leadership training, lesbian issues, civil rights, immigrant rights
Secured gift of Historic Royal Johnson House from City of Tucson as a permanent home for the commission
Skills for Women Program
Publication of Domestic Violence Survivor's Guide
Pay Equity Initiative, Pay Equity Business Awards, Annual Equal Pay Day Luncheon
Positive Aging for Women Conferences
Speak Out Conferences for Young Women
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The Women's Commission advocates for women on personal, organizational, and policy levels through community awareness and social action. We invite you to join with us in this work to eliminate discrimination toward women and improve the status of women in our community now and for generations to come!