News Release: HAWAIʻI STATE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN MOBILIZES TO STRENGTHEN STATE PROTECTIONS FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS

 

HAWAIʻI STATE COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN MOBILIZES

TO STRENGTHEN STATE PROTECTIONS FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                               

May 07, 2025

 

HONOLULU – The Hawaiʻi State Commission on the Status of Women (HSCSW) is announcing its ongoing commitment to protect women from harmful and regressive policies implemented by the current federal administration. Policies that are actively threatening women’s rights and well-being impact four critical areas: education, economic security, healthcare and workplace equity. Research has shown that everyday instances of sexism can negatively affect women at all levels, including matters of physical and mental health.

 

“The Hawaiʻi State Commission on the Status of Women unequivocally opposes the federal administration’s assault on women’s rights and opportunities,” said Jennifer Stotter, HSCSW chair. “We are witnessing deliberate attempts to roll back hard-won protections in education, economic security, healthcare access and workplace equity. Our commission is taking decisive action to ensure that federal policies designed to marginalize women will not succeed in Hawaiʻi.”

 

The commission is collaborating with state legislators, community organizations, healthcare providers, educational institutions and business leaders to develop a comprehensive framework that will strengthen state-level protections for women. This multifaceted approach includes exploring legislative options to offset federal funding reductions, expanding state programs and fostering public-private partnerships, as well as raising awareness of resources and legal rights.

 

The commission has identified specific federal actions of concern, including cuts to educational programs that support women and girls; rollbacks of workplace discrimination protections; restrictions on healthcare coverage affecting women’s comprehensive health needs, and systematic dismantling of diversity initiatives that have been instrumental in advancing women in the workforce. In response, the commission is working with state agencies and community organizations to develop countermeasures that preserve these essential protections.

 

“While the federal administration continues to target policies that support women’s advancement, Hawaiʻi will stand firm in its commitment to gender equity,” said HSCSW Executive Director Llasmin Chaine. “These federal actions represent a coordinated effort to undermine women’s rights, but we are equally determined to maintain the progress we’ve made and continue moving forward. No woman in Hawaiʻi should lose opportunities or protections because of regressive federal policies.”

 

Key areas of commission focus include:

• Expanding childcare subsidies and family leave policies
• Creating state-level protections for equal pay
• Strengthening safety net programs for immigrants and other vulnerable populations

• Preserving Title IX protections against discrimination and sexual violence
• Supporting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that aim to undo the effects of past discrimination (e.g., by combating biases, eliminating unjustifiable barriers and cultivating pluralism) in education, public and private sectors

• Ensuring comprehensive healthcare access includes reproductive and maternal health services

• Reinforcing anti-discrimination protections in employment
• Enhancing sexual harassment prevention and reporting mechanisms
• Promoting women in leadership positions across industries

 

Local advocacy efforts have been successful in addressing the harmful and abrupt withholding of Hawaiʻi’s Title X federal family planning grant funds by U.S. HHS on March 31, with the Hawaiʻi State Senate and House budget committees approving a historic $6 million state investment in family planning services.

 

The Hawaiʻi State Commission on the Status of Women is a statewide feminist government agency that works toward equality for women and girls in the state by acting as a catalyst for positive change through advocacy, education, collaboration and program development. The commission’s website is the primary vehicle for ongoing information sharing and collaboration.

 

How you can support women’s rights:

• Engage in microfeminism, attend local rallies and sign-waving events, or share discrimination reporting information.
  • Hawai‘i Civil Rights Commission (HCRC) enforces state laws prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and access to state and state-funded services. The HCRC receives, investigates, conciliates, and adjudicates complaints of discrimination. Website, Office: 808-586-8636, [email protected].
• Write a Letter to the Editor for the Star-Advertiser or a Community Voice for Civil Beat.
• Write to your local news outlets.
• Lobby your state or federal legislative representatives.
• Attend an upcoming State Commission on the Status of Women meeting or your County’s committee meeting (Hawaiʻi, Honolulu, Kauaʻi, or Maui). The next HSCSW meeting is Monday, May 12, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.  You can also submit testimony about any agenda item or any issue you would like to bring to the commissioners’ attention.

 

If you have been negatively impacted by recent federal actions, despite your protected rights as a woman and would like to share your experience to expand the commission’s strategic efforts, please reach out via email to [email protected].

 

 

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Media Contacts:

Llasmin Chaine

HSCSW Executive Director

Email: [email protected]

Amanda Stevens

Department of Human Services

Public Information Officer

Email: [email protected]