Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava announces the release of the first report on the status of women and girls in Miami-Dade.

On Tuesday, December 6, Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava, members of women’s organizations, the Miami-Dade Commission for Women, The Miami-Dade Commission Auditor and FIU’s Metropolitan Center, gathered to commemorate the release of the report on the status of women and girls in Miami-Dade County.

The report, authored by Dr. Maria Ilcheva of the Metropolitan Center, is the first annual report prepared for the Miami-Dade County Commission to evaluate the opportunities for women in the areas of economic opportunity, health and safety and education. Commissioner Levine Cava sponsored an ordinance in September 2015 adopting the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). This ordinance, unanimously adopted by the County Commission, requires annual reports to be written, which will create benchmarks that can be used to measure progress on women’s issues.

Some key findings from the report are:

·         Women in Miami-Dade County make 87 cents to every dollar a man earns.

·         Hispanic and Black women earned 63 cents to the dollar of white women.

·         Most businesses in the County are still owned by men, including employer businesses. However, women-owned businesses grew more than men-owned businesses between 2007 and 2012. 

·         The value of contracts the County awards to women-owned businesses represents only 3.7% of the total value of contracts awarded.

·         Only 32% of members of County boards are women.

·         Rape cases in areas under Miami-Dade County Police jurisdiction were up 14.4% in the first 8 months of the year.

Below are highlights from the event: 

“These numbers tell a story of a community that has much left to do. We want to fully unleash the economic potential of women in Miami-Dade,” said Commissioner Levine Cava. “I am energized to start working on improving opportunities for women and to champion initiatives that will help women and families rise above these barriers and fully thrive.”

“The gaps are consistent,” said Dr. Ilcheva. “Women earn less than men across occupations.”

The Miami-Dade Commission for Women prepared policy recommendations based on the report. “These recommendations include new ideas, as well as follow up on existing policies and funding for existing programs,” said Marie Woodson, Chair of the Miami-Dade Commission for Women.

Dr. Maria Ilcheva of the FIU Metropolitan Center presents the report’s findings.

Marie Woodson, Chair of the Miami-Dade Commission For Women, explains the recommendations based on the report.