CEDAW and the Status of Women

in Miami-Dade County:
Recommendations by the Miami-Dade County
Commission for Women | OCTOBER 2021
“A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full
humanity of women and men.”
― Gloria Steinem

“If we do not lift up women and families, everyone will fall

short.”
—Vice President Kamala Harris

“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her

shackles are very different from my own.”
― Audre Lorde

“I believe women not just in the United States but

throughout the world deserve equality and freedom but
know I am in no position to tell women of other cultures
what that equality and freedom should look like.”
― Roxane Gay, Bad Feminist: Essays

"Feminism is for everybody."

—bell hooks

"Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it

possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women."

—Maya Angelou

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 Miami-Dade County Commission for Women

Executive Committee

Monica Interian, Chair

Sarah Zabel, First Vice Chair
Lourdes Abadin, Second Vice Chair
Marie Soeurette Eloi, Member at Large
Kamila Przytula, Member at Large
Sharon Kendrick-Johnson, Immediate Past Chair

Commission Members

Lourdes Reyes Abadin Daneila McVea-Smith

Clora Adkins Beverly Nixon
Loreal Arscott Josefina Oramas
Christine A. Butler Diana Palacios
Gail Epstein Sonia Perez
Marie Eloi Kamila Przytula
Vivian Greer-Digon Lasonya Rodgers
Monica Interian Maria Santamaria
Sharon Kendrick Johnson Chelsea Wilkerson
Michelle LaPiana Charo Valero
Rose Martin Sarah I. Zabel
Melissa McNichols

Commission for Women Executive Director: Monica Skoko Rodriguez

CEDAW & Legislative Committee Co-Chairs:

Leah Blumenfeld, PhD

Raisa Sequeira, MS.Ed

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Table of Contents

Introduction 5

CEDAW and the Cities for CEDAW Initiative 6

Recommendations by Miami-Dade CFW and Community 7

Maternal Health 7
Housing Assistance 7-8
Pay Equity and Transparency 8

For Future Status of Women in Miami-Dade Reports 9-10

State and Federal Level Advocacy 11

Appendix with CEDAW Recommendations Ordinance 12

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Introduction

The Miami-Dade County Commission for Women (“Commission for Women”) is pleased to
submit its recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners pursuant to the mandate in
Ordinance # 15-87, the “CEDAW ordinance,” introduced by then-Commissioner Daniella Levine
Cava and passed by the Board of County Commissioners on September 1, 2015. In the
CEDAW ordinance, Miami-Dade County adopted the spirit and principles of the Convention on
the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which is the
international women’s rights treaty. By enacting this ordinance, Miami-Dade County commits to
being proactive about improving the status of women in our community and advancing policies
and programs that promote gender equity. Under this CEDAW ordinance, the Office of the
Commission Auditor (OCA) was tasked with gathering gender equity data in the areas of
economic development, health and safety, and education, and the Commission for Women was
tasked with making recommendations based on the data.

The Commission for Women thanks the Office of the Commission Auditor (OCA) and the
Florida International University Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center for providing such timely
and extensive information in the Status of Women in Miami-Dade County 2020 report. Some of
the data was provided by various County departments and agencies and the Commission for
Women appreciates their cooperation. The Commission Auditor reports to the Board of County
Commissioners on the fiscal operations of County departments and advises as to whether the
fiscal and legislative policy directions of the Commission are being efficiently and effectively
implemented. Florida International University Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center is Florida’s
leading urban policy think tank and solutions center and provides economic development,
strategic planning, community revitalization, and performance improvement services to public,
private and non-profit organizations in South Florida.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had continued detrimental effects on our county and several
nations across the world in the areas of health, economy, and safety. It has affected all aspects
of women’s lives. The majority of the policy recommendations listed in this CEDAW report are
framed as a gender equity response to the COVID-19 crisis. However, we recognize that many
of the ongoing issues of health inequity, housing instability, loss of income, unpaid labor, and
food insecurity all predate the current public health emergency.

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CEDAW and the Cities for CEDAW Initiative
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), also
referred to as the “Women’s Rights Treaty,” is the landmark, comprehensive international
agreement that affirms principles of human rights and equality for women around the world.
CEDAW was adopted by the United Nations (UN) in 1979 and, to date, 189 nations out of the
194 member nations of the UN have approved this treaty. The U.S., however, is one of only a
handful of countries that has not ratified CEDAW.

Because the U.S. has failed to ratify CEDAW, a growing "Cities for CEDAW" movement has
developed where cities and counties adopt the principles of CEDAW and operate their local
governments in a manner that incorporates gender equalityCities that have adopted CEDAW
include San Francisco, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Louisville, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, New Orleans,
Salt Lake City, Tampa, and St. Petersburg, among others. Successful implementation of
CEDAW by cities and counties has three requirements: 1. a gender analysis of the workforce,
services and budget in order to integrate gender considerations into the daily operations of local
agencies; 2. an oversight body to oversee the implementation of action plans; and 3. adequate
funding to implement the program and policy reforms.

On September 1, 2015, Miami-Dade County joined the growing Cities for CEDAW movement
with passage of Ordinance # 15-87. The report prepared by the Commission Auditor and FIU is
the gender analysis and the Commission for Women is submitting these recommendations and
will serve as the oversight body.
Now the remaining step is for Miami-Dade County to implement the recommendations and to
commit the financial resources necessary to achieve true gender equality. A budget is a
reflection of priorities, and Miami-Dade County can show its commitment to real gender equity
through the funding of programs and policies that make a difference in the lives of women and
girls. This is an essential component of a successful local implementation of CEDAW.

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Recommendations by Miami-Dade CFW and Community

The recommendations that follow address some of the various issue areas raised in the 2020
Status of Women in Miami Dade report prepared by FIU Metropolitan Center with support from
the Commission Auditor’s office. These recommendations are created based on a report that
was released prior to the pandemic. Every effort was made to create recommendations that took
the pandemic into account, but the recommendations are still based on the 2020 report. The
2021 report and the recommendations to follow will encompass data reflective of the issues
brought the light by the pandemic.

The process of collecting and organizing policy recommendations is very participatory.

Throughout the last year several recommendations were submitted by Miami-Dade residents,
individuals and community organizations such as Miami Workers Center, The Women’s Fund,
YWCA South Florida, Advocacy Partners Team Inc., WeCount, Catalyst Miami, and others via
online survey or virtual CEDAW Committee meetings as well as a Black Women’s Equal Pay
event hosted by the Commission for Women. We thank these individuals and organizations for
the time and contributions.

Maternal Health

1. Addressing the racial inequities in Maternal and Infant Health:

The Miami-Dade County Commission for Women and its CEDAW committee recommend that
the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners (BCC) call a meeting with the Public Health
Trust to create a public five-year plan within one year to lower Black Maternal Mortality and
Black Infant Mortality rate in our county (specifically Jackson System). The County-wide rate of
10.8 (BIM) must be lowered to a rate of 3.5 which is between 3.1 (white mothers) and 3.9
(Hispanic mothers).
1a. The Commission for Women encourages the BCC to expand access to clean and
appropriate lactation facilities as well as free menstrual supplies for all County
employees.
Lactation facility access was a recommendation from the 2018 CEDAW report*

Housing Assistance

2. Promoting housing stability:

The COVID-19 crisis has only worsened Florida’s housing affordability problem and Miami-Dade
is no exception. Miami-Dade County residents struggling to pay their rent due to loss of income
require our County to increase emergency and non-emergency rental funding and relocation
assistance requirements to landlords for tenants of condemned buildings.

As demonstrated in the Status of Women in Miami-Dade report, a female-headed household

with no spouse in our County had a median income of $36,351, which is only a 1.3% increase

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from 2010, when adjusted for inflation. In 2018, there were 166,128 female-headed households,
and 60,883 male-headed households.

Moreover, we must keep in mind that the Census and labor data used in the report dates back
to 2018, which is prior to when thousands of Miami-Dade residents experienced job loss due to
the onset of the public health crisis we currently are still in.

Pay Equity and Transparency

3. A more inclusive human rights ordinance for workers:

Updating the County Human Rights Ordinance, under ARTICLE IV. - EMPLOYMENT (section
11A-25), to change the definition of employer from "Employer shall mean any person who in the
regular course of business has five (5) or more employees in Miami-Dade County " to “ONE
employee or more,” so that the ordinance protects all workers from discrimination, regardless of
staff size. This helps protect domestic workers, many of whom are women, from harassment
and work-related abuses.

The Status of Women in Miami-Dade 2020 report highlights that women were the majority in
sales and office (57.9%), and service occupations (51.9%). Service occupations include many
hospitality and tourism-related occupations as well as childcare workers and home care aides.
For domestic workers, including home care aides, the lack of labor protections is high and some
may not have the security of written agreements or employee benefits. Expanding the Human
Rights Ordinance will shield some of our county’s most vulnerable workforce.

4. Salary Range and compensation package transparency:

Mandatory listing of salary or salary range on job listing for County jobs and jobs from County
contractors. Benefits, training, and educational opportunities should also be provided in the
listing as a total compensation package + Removal of “prior salary” or “desired salary” type
questions during applications/interviews. Finally, County contractor preference should be given
to those offering paid family leave, similar to the preference local venders are afforded during
bidding process.

As described in the “Miami-Dade County Employee Analysis” section of the report, the overall
wage gap among county employees increased slightly. In 2018, there was an 11.4% gap in the
average salaries of men and women working at our county full-time, and a 16.1% gap in the
median salary. The 2019 data, highlighted in the latest report, shows that the gaps expanded
slightly to 11.8% when comparing average compensation, and 16.6% for comparison of median
salaries. According to the data provided by the Miami-Dade County Office of the Commission
Auditor, current as of November 2019, men working in our county government earn more than
women regardless of whether they have the same level educational attainment, with the
exception of county workers with less than a high school degree and those with doctorate
degrees (p 30). When the data on county employees is analyzed by tenure the wage gap

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persists but it is smallest for those who have worked for the county for 10 years or less.
Including the salary range in all county postings has several benefits.
In LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends 2019 report, which surveyed over 5,000 talent professionals
across the world, 27% said their company currently shares salary ranges with employees,
candidates, or both.

For Future Status of Women in Miami-Dade Reports

Listed below are recommendations by the Commission for Women and community members on
data that should be included in subsequent Status of Women in Miami-Dade reports, prepared
by FIU Metropolitan Center, in order for the Commission for Women to make related policy
recommendations as needed.

1. In our County, many residents live at the intersections of identifying as both women and
immigrants. The next report should include data on the quality of life of immigrant women
in Miami-Dade of all races and national origins available. For immigrants and
mixed-status households, there may be additional barriers to prosperity and well-being
that may be identified and addressed. This should include county residents with B1
visas, temporary protected status (TPS), student visas and more.
2. Median income of individuals with disabilities by gender. The data should include various
types of disabilities, including but not limited to: learning, memory, physical, and
developmental disabilities. Additional research on the living conditions and quality of life
of persons with disabilities should be provided. As described in Article 12 of the United
Nations General CEDAW Recommendation No. 24 (20th session, 1999) it is imperative
to take appropriate measures to ensure that health services are sensitive to the needs
of women with disabilities and are respectful of their human rights and dignity.1
3. More data on the safety of Women in Our County. Updated information on domestic
violence (DV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) should be in the next iteration of the
report, including all measures that County agencies are taking to address these issues.
Furthermore, other issues pertaining to safety and freedom from violence such as:
Sexual exploitation and human trafficking (HT), Rape and sexual assault cases, and
funding data on programs for survivors of DV, IPV, HT. The next Status of Women in
Miami-Dade research report should also report on on the extent of domestic violence
and sexual abuse, and on the preventive, punitive and remedial measures that have
been taken; ehabilitation programs for perpetrators of gender-based violence; and
Protective measures, including refuges, counselling, rehabilitation and support services
for women who are the victims of violence or who are at risk of violence.2
4. The gender-lens on housing instability needs to be further studied. We see in the data
about women-headed households. If possible it would be helpful to see more information
on:
a. Number and percentage of single women purchasing homes in our county in
comparison to men

1
General recommendations made by the UN Committee on theElimination of Discrimination against
Women, (1999) https://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/recommendations/recomm.htm#10
2
General recommendations made by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against
Women,(1992) https://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/recommendations/recomm.htm#10

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 b. The average prices and sizes being purchased/rented by women
c. Median net worth of homeowners (single men, single women, and couples)
d. Who is being evicted? Is it single women-headed households, non-family units,
etc.
e. Average age for men and women buying their first home?
f. How many households in public housing developments are female-headed units?
5. Data on the quality of employment is needed. In addition to labor force participation and
salary levels, benefits (healthcare, unemployment protection, pension funds), workplace
safety and stability of employment determine if a person lives an economically stable or
precarious life.
6. Collect data on pension levels and age discrimination in the workplace (this is a
significant dimension of economic well-being as many more women than men, due to a
lifelong earnings gap and their higher life expectancy, live in poverty at older ages).
7. Collect data on unpaid or “invisible” family and care work. This work, which is
predominantly performed by women, needs to be made visible to be valued. It is
essential for communities to function, as has become painfully clear during the COVID
19 pandemic.
8. Information on domestic workers in the County. This group forms a large part of
marginalized groups that need to be studied. This group consists of mostly immigrant
women.

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State and Federal Level Advocacy
Throughout the community-based participatory process for gathering input from women in
Miami-Dade County, the Commission for Women noticed that many of the ideas shared by
residents were not in the purview of The Board of County Commissioners nor Mayor Daniella
Levine Cava. Below is a list of recommendations that can be enacted at the state and federal
levels but advocated for by the Commissioners and Mayor. We recommend that the Mayor and
Miami-Dade BCC advocate at the appropriate level of government.

1. We encourage state level advocacy and a resolution urging the Miami-Dade Legislative
Delegation to publicly support policies that improve maternal and infant health in our
state.
a. Maternal Health Care Services
b. Maternal Health Outcomes
c. Post-partum Medicaid
d. Lactation Spaces in Courthouses

2. Advocate for gender equity in our public school systems, in the issue areas of health,
safety, and hygiene, to include but not limited to menstrual equity.

3. Much of the policy change needed to narrow the gender wage gap is at the state and
federal levels. During our conversations with community stakeholders in Miami-Dade,
many concerns were raised on dismantling barriers to prosperity.
a. Advocate for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment “ERA” at the state
level and the removal of the ERA deadline at the federal level

4. Miami-Dade County can advocate at the state level for Florida to fund grants for a doula
program. Similar to New Jersey’s “Healthy Women, Healthy Families Initiative,”
making doulas accessible will lower South Florida’s infant and maternal mortality rates.
New Jersey has one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the nation. According to a
2013 study, expectant mothers matched with a doula had better birth outcomes than did
mothers who gave birth without involvement of a doula.

5. Pass a resolution in support of reproductive freedom, justice, and access in the County
of Miami-Dade.

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 Appendix

The Commission for Women made all attempts to make this report of recommendations
abridged for accessibility and ease for all parties. Should an item recommended be of interest to
any Commissioners or the Mayor, the Commission for Women makes itself available to discuss
and provide relevant ordinances and a path to policy changes and advocacy for issues
pertaining to women. We also keep a running list of prior ordinances and resolutions related to
gender equity that have been passed and may need enactment, revisiting, or reinforcement.
Selections from that list are below.

The CEDAW Recommendations founding ordinance #15-87 follows.

Pay Equality Within County Government: Resolution #998-14

Paid Parental Leave for County Employees: Ordinance #16-20

County Sexual Harassment Policy: Resolution #353-18

Collection of Data on Race and Gender of County Contractors

and their Employees: Resolution #869-09

Creation of Miami-Dade Women’s Compact: Resolution #433-16

Support for “Envelope Please” Initiative: Resolution #940-14

Wage Theft Ordinance: Miami-Dade Code of Ordinances, Chapter 22

STEM Education for Women and Girls: Resolution #1045-16

Promotion and Advancement of STEM Programs: Resolution #621-17

Gender Neutral Bathroom Signage: Resolution #1054-16

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 N FO
IO R
S
S

W
I
COMM

O
MEN
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
COUNTY
EST
1 9 7 1

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY COMMISSION FOR WOMEN

2020 CEDAW RECOMMENDATIONS

Daniella Levine Cava

Mayor

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

José “Pepe” Díaz
Chairman

Oliver G. Gilbert, III

Vice Chairman

Oliver G. Gilbert, III Danielle Cohen Higgins

District 1 District 8

Jean Monestime Kionne L. McGhee

District 2 District 9

Keon Hardemon Senator Javier D. Souto

District 3 District 10

Sally A. Heyman Joe A. Martinez

District 4 District 11

Eileen Higgins José “Pepe” Díaz

District 5 District 12

Rebeca Sosa Senator René Garcia

District 6 District 13

Raquel A. Regalado
District 7

Harvey Ruvin
Clerk of Courts

Pedro J. Garcia
Property Appraiser

Geri Bonzon-Keenan
County Attorney