2007-2008 OPERATIONAL PLAN

RICW Purpose:

To advance women to full equity in all areas of life

To promote rights and opportunities for all women

To study, make recommendations and promote constructive action on issues relating to women

In 2007-2008 the RICW will fulfill its mission through:

Education,

Advocacy; and

Collaboration

In 2007-2008 the RICW will focus its limited resources on the following priorities:
Human Trafficking - Conservative estimates indicate that 70% of trafficking victims are female and 50% are children. Commercial sex trafficking is occurring in RI, but current prostitution laws do not go far enough to protect victims and penalize perpetrators. The RICW will:

Educate the public through op ed pieces, e-mail alerts, website, public forums.

Advocate for stronger legislation and protection of victims rights.

Collaborate with Polaris Project and the RI Coalition to End Human Trafficking.

Women in Non-Traditional Roles - Even though non-traditional trades have been open to women since the 1970’s, very few have taken advantage of the opportunity to earn higher pay in fields traditionally dominated by men. To address this issue, RICW will:

Complete research on the current state of RI women in the trades, barriers to access for women and girls and develop baseline data. Publish the findings. Educate girls and women about opportunities in the trades.

Advocate for greater parity and equity in the trades.

Collaborate with Girl Scouts, Big Sisters, National Association of Women in Construction, the RI Trades women and other like-minded groups.

Legislation Impacting Women

Women’s Health - RICW will promote and advocate for women’s health issues by:

Developing additional position papers to cover areas of importance not previously addressed.

Advocating for women’s health-related legislation and looking for synergies with MHRH, DOH, and other government agencies as appropriate. Potential areas of focus include:

1. Health care coverage of the HPV vaccine Gaps in re-entry services for women exiting the prison, as well as co-morbid mental health issues. (Consider producing a demographic profile on these women.)
2. Assisting other groups such as AARP, DHS and the Department of Elderly Affairs with long-term care finance reform.

Education - RICW will promote education as a means of advancing the status of women and will recognize and reward women for their work as role models, mentors, and trailblazers for women and girls in Rhode Island:

Women of the Year Event

Freda Goldman Education Awards

In addition, the RICW will use it’s resources to collaborate with other agencies, coalitions, and businesses as needed to promote the work of the RICW and address issues of importance to women and girls in Rhode Island.