Essential Estrogen

The Iowa Commission on the Status of Women (ICSW) advocates for changes in state laws, supports studies and champions gender-specific changes within state government in order to eliminate inequities for women. As a part of that charge, the agency annually submits proposals to the Iowa Governor and General Assembly, which outline goals and areas of interest for the upcoming legislative session.

2008 Policy Agenda

• Opportunities for Women's Economic Success and Self-Sufficiency

  The Iowa Commission on the Status of Women supports initiatives that assist women in successful education and work endeavors, including adequate funding for safety net programs for Iowa's women and families. The ICSW supports:

  1. Set state targets and accountability standards for the participation of girls and women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education (middle school through postsecondary) and other non-traditional occupation training programs and develop a specific state plan for skill-building, education and recruitment of women for key industry sectors that ensures women are fully utilized in addressing the skilled worker shortage.
  2. Support the federal Child Support Protection Act of 2007, which would restore the 25% budget cut ($7.2 million) to Iowa’s Child Support Recovery Unit (beginning 10/1/2007) resulting from the Deficit Reduction Act. In the event that federal changes do not restore funding, support the solution sought by the Governor to identify $4.6 million in state matching funds to assist children and families in collecting child support.
  3. Funding of $85,000 to ICSW for Women, Workforce and Money programming for ongoing focus on women in non-traditional occupations, wage equity, and financial literacy.
  4. Restore $93,000 in funding (for a total of $185,000) to ICSW for Iowa New Choices, a network of programs that provide intensive case management and workforce supports not otherwise available for displaced homemakers, single parents, and female ex-offenders.
  5. Establishing a vehicle for 12 weeks of partial wage compensation for a person taking family and medical leave.

• Women's Safety and Health

  The Iowa Commission on the Status of Women supports legislation aimed to improve health care access and ensure victims of violence are adequately protected from violence. The ICSW supports:

  1. Amending Code of Iowa Chapter 724.26 into alignment with federal law that prohibits persons who have been convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor or who are subject to a no-contact order from possessing firearms.
  2. Amending Code of Iowa Chapter 916 to strengthen the rights of sexual assault victims with comprehensive enumerated rights, such as the right to the presence of a victim counselor, the right to a medical exam at no cost to the victim, the right to law enforcement assistance, the right to seek a no-contact order, and the right to register as a victim in order to receive notification of proceedings.
  3. Increased funding of $24,000 to the ICSW for training on issues of violence against women.
  4. Increased funding for women’s health issues, including mammography, colposcopy, breast, cervical and ovarian cancer screenings; reproductive health services including chlamydia screenings, HPV vaccine, and family planning services; and statewide comprehensive adolescent pregnancy prevention programs.

• Gender Equity and Equal Justice for Women

  By its very mission, the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women supports full equality for Iowa women and girls. The ICSW supports:

  1. Gender balance on boards and commissions of political subdivisions of the state.
  2. Extend the deadline for filing civil rights complaints from 180 to 300 days
  3. Establish a gender-specific continuum of care for females in the juvenile justice system, beginning with restricting all 100 placements at the Iowa Juvenile Home to females.
  4. Expand state funding and the use of evidence-based practices for the Star Therapeutic Community Program at the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women and community-based correction facilities.