Testimony Presented:

1. Mark Murray – President of Grand Valley State University
Mark welcomed us to the Grand Valley State University campus. He noted that 60% of the students are women, as well as a substantial number of women in leadership roles. He encouraged us to contact him regarding the studies conducted at GVSU to address pay equity issues. He noted the enormity of the challenge for students to find an occupation and a passion that matches the gifts they have. He looks forward to being a partner with us.

2. Dottie Clune – Nokomis Foundation – written testimony
The New Voices initiative addresses issues of two marginalized groups – women and girls who have been exploited through prostitution, and incarcerated women. The Prostitution Round Table, a group of community leaders concerned about this issue, urges the MWC to use its resources to help educate the public about the issues that prostituted women and girls face, such as violence, addictions, poverty and homelessness. Recommendations include convening a statewide conference to build support and to help provide funding for programs that address the prostitution system.

3. John Arnold – Second Harvest Gleaners Food Bank of West Michigan – written testimony
Charity food providers statewide are reporting very significant increases in the numbers of people seeking food aid this summer, with no end to those massive increases in sight.
Urges organizations to use the resources already available to them more effectively. Noted that in the 1994-96 WASTE NOT WANT NOT PROJECT, there are recommendations for agencies to follow to improve practices. Second Harvest will release a new handbook before Thanksgiving, “Food Programs that Can End Hunger in America.”

4. Jeff Smith – GR Institute for Information Democracy – emailed information
Passed along some resources on what the Institute has found with media & gender representation. http://www.griid.org. Their research indicates that local news programming shows women only in stereotypical roles. They recommend the following actions:
1) Do regular research on local news. All our studies are archived at http://www.griid.org/griidreports.shtml. Even if the focus is not on women or gender, the data pages from each report are telling. Here is the direct link to a study we conducted on women in local news in 2001 http://www.griid.org/pdfs/woman-report.pdf. Just completed a video of what is referred to Hyper-sexual content in Films called “Hypersexual Imagery in Film: The Unintended Sex Ed.”
2) Media training/Media Strategies - work with several women's advocacy groups to challenge media reporting. Here are some links to work with the Kent County Sexual Assault Prevention Action Team http://www.griid.org/instruct-sexualassault.shtml. and the Prostitution Roundtable http://www.griid.org/instruct-prostitution.shtml.
3) Licensing Renewal - the deadline for public input on radio station license renewal in Michigan just passed. Did a report for Grand Rapids. For a look at our community guide for licensing renewal go to http://www.griid.org/fcc_license_renewal.shtml.
Please consider us a resource. Would love to work with the Commission on media reform as we feel they are essential to gender justice issues.

5. Mary O’Connor – verlook Resources – written testimony
Miracle Manor is a Traverse City substance abuse treatment program for women that is dedicated to both the individual and their families, the children of addiction, based on Project Safe of Illinois. Current funding streams are fragmented, with different policies. The result is a lack of funding for Miracle Manor. They recommend working towards a “braided funding” plan with providers of substance abuse treatment funding, the Department of Community Health, and the Family Independence Agency.

6. Jeannie Hosey – Nokomis Foundation – written testimony
Spoke about the Nurturing a New Start project that strives to enhance opportunities for women incarcerated in the Kent County Correctional Facility. There are numerous barriers to creating equity in provision of services to women. Recommends that the MWC update the Unheard Voices study and include the recent and very promising work being done nationally on gender-responsive programming in prisons and jails; and work with the Department of Corrections, Office of Community Corrections and others to ensure equity of opportunity for women incarcerated in Michigan jails.

7. Christine Wolkens – Our Hope Association – written testimony
Our Hope Association provides treatment programs for women with addictions to alcohol and drugs. First, there is not enough state funding. Second, there is a lack of transitional housing for women who are completing residential treatment. Third, there are not enough resources for treating women with increasingly severe mental health disorders and substance abuse issues.

8. Diane Matson – Communities for Equity – written testimony
Plaintiff in the class action lawsuit against the Michigan High School Athletic Association filed in December 2001. The court recently found that the MHSAA’s current sports season alignment is a violation of Michigan’s civil rights law, Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments, and the Equal Protection clause of the 14^th amendment.  Urges MWC to support this case.

9. Connie Engel – Communities for Equity – written testimony
Highlighted the work done by CFE in Kent County. With the support of the Kent Intermediate School District, CFE brought in Kristen Galles, an attorney and national Title IX expert, to speak to superintendents and Title IX coordinators. Applied for and received a grant from the Michigan Women’s Foundation in order to survey local school districts and will be publishing the information. School districts need to disclose current practices in the athletic programs of each high school. The Governor’s office should oversee the provision of equitable athletic programs in public schools.

10. Valerie Wright – AAUW-Kalamazoo Branch – written testimony
The American Association of University Women believes there is a need for increased support for, and access to, higher education for women. Asks that the MWC support and/or collaborate with an AAUW branch and a local college or university to hold a Transitions Conference that targets women returning to higher education to obtain or complete degrees. The conference would encourage women and address obstacles and challenges women face in returning to school.

11. Sr. Maureen Geary – Housing Continuum of Care Grand Rapids Area
The HCOC is a subcommittee of the Kent County Emergency Needs Task Force and serves as a point of focus for the providers of emergency shelter, transitional housing and permanent supportive housing in Kent County. Many of those in need of housing are women and women with children. Urges the MWC to join in the statewide efforts to end homelessness and providing housing first as a basic step toward first stability, thus increasing opportunity for women and other homeless people.

12. Betsy Zystra – Salvation Army Booth Family Services
One of the programs offered provides outreach services and a residential program for pregnant and parenting teens and their children who are homeless. The issues of housing stability, a nurturing support system and quality health care for the mom and baby are critical for this population. It is imperative that the mainstream structures and systems consider how to better cooperate and communicate so that young women and children are not left struggling and alone to find their way through the maze.

13. Kathy Humphrey – Planned Parenthood Centers of West Michigan – written testimony
Half of all pregnancies are unintended. About 20,000 Michigan teens get pregnant each year. By the age of 24, one in three people will contract a sexually transmitted infection, some of which can lead to serious health complications including infertility, cancer and even death. Planned Parenthood provides essential services to more than 25,000 women, men and teens every year in west Michigan. Urges the MWC to support expanding the family planning programs in the state.

14. Tom Cottrell – YWCA of Grand Rapids – written testimony
Highlighted problems that a woman faces when she is choosing to leave a violent relationship and is faced with custody and visitation struggles with the father of her children, the person who is the domestic violence perpetrator. Urged MWC to assert that our government’s policies, laws and practices should distinguish between fathers, and men who batter who fathered children; stated that when contact between children and an assailant is granted in divorce proceedings, our community lacks an affordable structure that provides for the safe exchange of children, when there is the potential of harm to an ex-spouse.

15. M’Lynn Hartwell – Traverse for Women – written testimony
Ms. Hartwell is building a women’s network in NW Michigan, sending out email and making telephone calls to 250 women to gather information. She provided testimony on the invisibility of rural women, health care, women in business, day care, environment and safe food, waste management, public water supplies, mercury in the lakes, air quality, genetically modified organisms, high cost of factory farms, livable wages, and proposal 04-2 on the November ballot: all issues affecting women in NW Michigan.

16. Trish Knight – Business and Professional Women of Michigan – written testimony
Highlighted the importance of supporting affirmative action laws in Michigan and opposing attempts to destroy affirmative action laws in Michigan. Urged the MWC to promote affirmative action in the state.

17.Sally Sayles – Women’s Issues Volunteer Corps and Voices for Health Choices of Grand Valley State University
The Women’s Issues Volunteer Corps links GVSU students with volunteer opportunities that improve the lives of women and girls in the surrounding community. Sally noted the importance of matching experiences and educational interests of students with projects in the community. She also described the program Voice for Healthy Choices, a student organization that educates students about women’s health issues, such as reproductive rights, sexually transmitted infection prevention, contraceptive options and violence against women. The organization provides a forum for students to educate their peers and to make their voices heard through lobbying and other advocacy strategies.

18.Annie Finke and Ty Falk – Eyes Wide Open at Grand Valley State University – written notes
Eyes Wide Open is the GVSU sexual assault program that provides support for survivors as well as education and prevention initiatives for the larger campus community.

19. Sue Shattuck – Center for Women in Transition – written testimony
The program provides 24-hour crisis services to persons experiencing domestic violence and sexual assault. In addition, it offers women’s support services, legal advocacy, child and adolescent services, and a variety of education and prevention programs. The number of calls and clients have increased dramatically. Urges the MWC to help with funding for the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program and to support passage of HB 5838 that would earmark some funding for the program.

20.Julie Bonewell – Spectrum Health, Healthy Kent 2010, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies
Julie wasn’t able to testify because of her time constraints, but she provided us with the report “Women’s Health: The Foundation to Building Healthy Families and Communities.”

Attending from MI Women’s Commission:

Commissioners:
Gloria Woods, Vice Chair
Pat Hardy
Patricia Lowrie
Emily Stoddard Malloy
Brenda Jones Quick
Judy Rosenberg
Sally Shaheen Joseph
Joyce Watts

Ex Officio & Liaisons:
Sophie Baker
Maxine Berman
Kim Brosky
Alethia Carr
Norene Lind