Leadership in Action
Elder Women On the Rise & Leading Change This might be a typical day for most parents. However, Norma is a 68-year-old grandmother. She became the primary caregiver to her grandchildren after the loss of her daughter in an accident and the incarceration of her son-in-law. But Norma is not alone in playing a parental role for grandchildren. May is Older Americans Month and the Women's Foundation of California is committed to telling Norma's story—and that of so many other women—in order to build a movement that promotes the health and economic prosperity of aging Californians. Today older women are increasingly called on to raise their grandchildren and other relatives. With single mothers now heading more and more households and a dearth of affordable childcare, many mothers are turning to their own mothers for childcare. Unfortunately the increasing need to care for their grandchildren only exacerbates elder women’s growing struggle to meet their own basic needs. The most recent U.S. Census data shows that women over 65 account for 72 percent of all older Californians who live alone. In their senior years women are almost twice as likely to live in poverty as men—11.5 percent of women compared to 6.6 percent of men. Among women age 65 and over, poverty disproportionately impacts women of color and the disparity significantly increases as they age. This gender inequity is the result of lifetime wage discrepancies due to workforce discrimination, fewer work opportunities as women age and work gaps from family and child-rearing responsibilities. In addition, women’s income declines with age. Many older women who have adequate income at the beginning of their senior years slide into poverty. As women tend to live longer than men, some become widowed and see their incomes dwindle to half their former amount. Core to the Women’s Foundation is our belief that people most impacted by poverty are in the best position to define and advocate for solutions. Building on existing, effective organizations and coalitions, such as the Older Women’s League (OWL), Lavender Seniors, Gray Panthers, Old Lesbians Organizing for Change (OLOC) and California Women’s Agenda (CAWA), the Women’s Foundation of California is working to strengthen a grassroots movement to increase efficiencies and improve outcomes for all of us to age with dignity, economic security and well-being. This year the first Elder Issues Team of our Women’s Policy Institute is advocating on behalf of its bill, AB 324 Elder Economic Dignity Act of 2009, authored by Assembly members Jim Beall and Mariko Yamada and Senator Carol Liu. AB 324 would require On May 28, AB 324 was released from suspense and passed by the Assembly Appropriations Committee. In light of this year's budget when so many deserving bills were held back, this is an extraordinary achievement. AB 324 will soon go to the Assembly floor for a vote. In addition to AB 324, the Elder Issues Team is working on a companion resolution, AJR 6, which calls on President Obama and Congress to ensure the The Women’s Foundation of California is committed to harnessing the wisdom and energy of women elders and their allies to support a stronger movement that advocates for improving conditions for elder women. It is important that we equip the women most affected by poverty with the tools to lead this charge for social change. Join us in strengthening the movement for all to age with dignity, well-being and economic security, learn more about the Elder Women’s Initiative of the Women's Foundation of California and contact your elected representatives to urge their support of AB 324 and AJR 6. The Women’s Policy Institute is accepting applications until June 8 for the 2009-2010 class. Over the last six years, 160 advocates have been trained by the Women’s Policy Institute, a year-long, experiential policy training program. These women have led both legislative and administrative efforts, succeeded in getting 10 bills signed into law and six other bills to the Governor’s desk. In community listening sessions hosted by the Women's Foundation of California the need for policy advocacy training of elder women was expressed to be a top priority by hundreds of diverse elder women. We strongly encourage multi-generational advocates of elder issues to apply.
What do you make of the economy collapsing one day after you became CEO? Well, I tried not to take it personally. Though I have to say this economy has really heartened me in terms of staffs’ creativity and donors’ generosity. The worst of times can bring out the best in people. How did you first get introduced to the Foundation? I had been involved in the early founding of a women’s foundation in As Vice President of Programs, you oversaw the creation of a lot of new projects and programs. What was the first? The Initiatives Forum was the first. This is when the Foundation began to really focus on policy advocacy for women’s economic security and environmental justice. The program was developed after our survey of 1,000 What’s your greatest pride and joy? I’m proud of our Women’s Policy Institute. And I think we have the right model for positive, lasting social change. I’m seeing a lot of much larger foundations follow suit. I am proud of the way that the Women’s Foundation has played a critical role in building a broader cross-issue movement in Do you have any regrets? I try not to dwell on things that don’t go well. I do think we missed fundraising opportunities while the economy was really strong. For example, we should have worked harder to build our endowment, which would help us fulfill our mission over the long haul. That remains a top priority. Also, prior to the economic collapse we had begun work to build a coalition and agenda for women and girls in the State of You seem like someone who is always in control of the situation. Does anything ever surprise you or catch you off guard? I guess I’m most surprised about the influence that becoming statewide gave us, particularly in the first year of the Women’s Policy Institute. At one point we gave the Women’s Policy Institute fellows computer bags with our logo and name on them, and everyone was carrying them around the Capitol. It was accidental branding genius. Let’s talk about your adrenalin addiction. Some people say it’s the cause of your infamous tardiness. Adrenalin is the greatest drug in the world. And my appreciation of it was definitely fueled by my mother. She was a force. She always had something to do, somewhere to go. She knew how to have a good time and how to rest. She held Sunday as sacred time for herself. After church and dinner, she took the rest of the day off. I want to have a life that is spacious enough that I can be there for people. When my partner Cindy died, people reached out in really beautiful ways. I want to be able to make a meal for someone or just spend time. Being truly present in conversations, however long they are, is sometimes more important to me than getting to my next appointment on time. In all seriousness, I am working on this. How do you relax and refuel? I’m really clear about the things I need to manage my stress...spin class, silent retreats about 3 – 4 times a year, regular journaling and vacations. I never come back from one vacation without planning the next. I also go to church every Sunday I’m in town. Most people don’t know that you have a strong faith and that your drive for justice has its roots in the I’ve often said that when I first moved to Your parents sound like they were pretty extraordinary. Were there any mottos that they passed along? ‘There’s nothing that a hard day’s work can’t cure.’ And one I think of often: ‘Live every day as if it were your last.’ If you could have pursued another career, what would it have been? Had there been good career counseling for girls when I was growing up, I might have become a farmer. I see a lot of parallels in the work I do at the Foundation: you need good soil to start. You have to do a lot of care and tending. You have to change course if the weather changes. Sometimes the most important thing to do is prune. I love having a diversity of work. All of the tasks involved are important to the life of the Foundation. How are you celebrating your 10th Anniversary with the Foundation? By raising one million dollars! Sometimes I’m really angry about the opposing forces of economic crisis and political opportunity of these times. But I’m focused on the latter. We have such an opportunity for progress right now! Yet, many of our strongest, most effective grant partners are struggling to survive. I just can’t sit by and let 30 years of movement building for social justice slip away because of this crisis. Stimulating the economy would be so easy if we invested in women, community and justice for all persons. Please take a moment to make a gift in Judy's honor and write her a note of congratulations.
The rights to clean water, to a pollution free environment where families can live and thrive, for children to attend schools without exposure to pesticide drift—all of these issues are tied to reproductive and environmental justice, two movements that take into account women’s economic prosperity, protection from toxins, access to reproductive health and family planning and sexual health education. Through our Catalyst Fund we are funding grassroots efforts that create solutions to these broad but related challenges to address the root causes—not symptoms—of the many roadblocks to good health and wellness. Join us by making a contribution to the Catalyst Fund and your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar. These resources will be invested in organizations led by the women most impacted by health disparities, providing them with resources to create solutions and policies that best address the needs of their communities.
Women from four generations came together to get inspired for a common cause. One of the honorees quoted Madeline Albright “There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.” But also we think there’s a special place in heaven for women who stand up and support other women. The women honored at the luncheon have some special thrones reserved for them. Among the women honored was Novelist Isabel Allende, whose powerful words “write what should not be forgotten” were repeated throughout the event. Isabel Allende has written about love, heartache, generosity, and life. Her magical realism has touched so many and she will be the first to tell you that life is full of ups and downs (see her interview here). Among the honorees were: The Honorable Karen Bass, 67th Speaker of the California State Assembly - made history a year ago by becoming the First African American woman to serve as Speaker. Belinda Smith Walker, who co-founded the Los Angeles Women’s Foundation and the Women’s Foundation of California – creating hundreds of nonprofits and supporting thousands of women statewide. Carla Christofferson and Kathy Goodman – two women whose love for the game of basketball empowered them to own the Los Angeles Sparks, becoming the second team in the WNBA to be owned by women. Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers and spent her life fighting for women’s rights, farmers' rights, and civil rights – “Si se puede.” So what does the Women’s Foundation of California do? Former board member Kathleen Brown advised that “The Women’s Foundation is a grant maker. It funds organizations led by fierce women leaders working to make their communities safe, healthy and prosperous.” But besides giving grants, the Women’s Foundation transforms women’s lives by creating a large support system that empowers women and provides the backing for making our voices louder and stronger. Not only does the Women’s Foundation give grants to other organizations, it teaches women how to create a movement, laws, and policy work through the Women’s Policy Institute. Kathleen Brown went on to call it “One of the most powerful strategies of the Foundation… which gives Foundation’s grant partners the opportunity to learn advocacy by doing – partnering with Legislators to develop laws and policies that are good for women and families and educating and mobilizing their communities back at home. “ During these difficult times, we have to stick together and create great communities filled with support and momentum. We can all be part of the Women’s Foundation of California by supporting their many initiatives including One Million Women for Women Campaign -- the goal being to have one million women donate $10 each. Women are given an opportunity to invest in our women tribe and be part of a collective effort that is spearheaded with goodness, enthusiasm, and the spirit of possibilities. If you’re interested in joining the cause, click here. Difficult times are ahead of us but we will overcome them and survive – making us bolder, smarter, and stronger. In the meantime, it’s like the Honorable Karen Bass said, “You have to laugh in this situation, because if you don’t, it’s very easy to cry.” The event last Friday reminds us that the Women’s Foundation provides an essential platform for promoting leadership among women and creating change. The honorees have provided a great source of inspiration – without them we’d have many mountains to climb, but more importantly without the Foundation – we’d have to climb the See photos from the event. |
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In September 2008, Judy Patrick was named President and CEO of the Women’s Foundation of California after more than nine years as Vice President of Programs. This month, she celebrates her 10th Anniversary at the Foundation. Here she talks about the roots of her activism, her adrenalin addiction and why she’s so mad about this moment in time..jpg)
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In the spirit of optimism, three hundred women gathered at the Women’s Foundation of California Momentum Awards Friday May 8th to honor 6 influential women who have trail blazed their way to become extraordinary pioneers in their communities. These women have in their unique way stood forward to make a difference not only in other women’s lives, but in all of our lives.
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