California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls

What California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls does

The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls (CCSWG) is an independent California state agency established in 1965, headquartered at 925 L Street #345 in Sacramento. It is governed by 17 appointed commissioners (9 Public Members, 6 Legislative Members, and 2 Statutory Members) and supported by a staff of 29 employees. The Commission's mandate is to identify and eliminate inequities in state laws, practices, and conditions affecting California women and girls across health, safety, employment, education, and equal representation in the military and media. Its explicitly inclusive scope covers cis, trans, gender-expansive, nonbinary, gender-nonconforming, and genderqueer individuals.

The Commission's product portfolio spans four functional categories: (1) policy advocacy and legislative sponsorship, including bills such as AB1356 (Health Clinic Safety) and the College Student Right to Access Act; (2) grant administration, notably the $13.9 million Women's Recovery Response program distributed across 186 grantees in 2021-2023; (3) research and data products, including the annual Report on the Status of Women and Girls in California™ (with Mount Saint Mary's University since 2012) and the California Women's Well-Being Index covering 30 indicators across all 58 counties; and (4) initiatives and convenings, including the California Equal Pay Pledge (200+ employer signatories), the Pay Equity Task Force, the Girls in STEAM program, and the Youth Advisory Council for ages 14-20. Its technology footprint consists of a public-facing website (women.ca.gov) and standard social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube); no proprietary AI/ML, SaaS, or platform products are offered.

The Commission's revenue model is government appropriation rather than commercial sales. It receives funding through the California state legislature's biennial budget process, with the most recently disclosed allocation being $13.9 million over two fiscal years ($11 million for the statewide grant program and $2.9 million for general operations). It has no disclosed pricing model, no product sales, and no fee-for-service revenue streams. Its go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on the Youth Advisory Council, 18 county/city local commissions, and strategic partnerships with organizations including Girl Scouts California Councils, Mount Saint Mary's University, the California Budget & Policy Center, the Latino Community Foundation, the ERA Coalition, and international bodies such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Mexican States.

Name

California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls

Legal name

California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls

Website

https://women.ca.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls is a California state agency, established in 1965 and headquartered in Sacramento, that advocates for gender-equity policy, administers grant programs, and produces research to advance the well-being of women and girls across California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Public Service — Gender Equity Advocacy

NAICS

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921), Legislative Bodies (921120)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights (BPADAGAF), LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations (BPAGAFAE), Labor, Employment Standards & Occupational Licensing Boards (BPAIAOAF)

Keywords

• Public grant programs
• Legislative advocacy
• Gender equity advocacy
• Women policy research
• State government agency

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. State Government Funding: The Commission operates as a California state agency, receiving funding through the state budget. The legislature allocated $13.9 million over two fiscal years for the Women's Recovery Response grant program, with $11 million for the statewide grant program and $2.9 million for general operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls is a California state government agency that advances gender equity through policy advocacy, research, grant programs, and youth engagement. It identifies and works to eliminate inequities in state laws and conditions affecting women and girls in health, safety, employment, education, and equal representation. The Commission provides its services at no cost through advocacy, partnerships, and legislative sponsorship.

Product overview

The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls operates as a state government agency with a portfolio of advocacy programs, research initiatives, and grant programs designed to advance gender equity for women and girls in California. The Commission's offerings include policy advocacy and legislative sponsorship, grant programs such as the Women's Recovery Response and College Student Right to Access Act, research tools like the California Women's Well-Being Index, and youth engagement through the Youth Advisory Council. Key initiatives include the California Equal Pay Pledge with over 200 employer signatories, the Pay Equity Task Force, and the Girls in STEAM program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• California Equal Pay Pledge A free initiative encouraging California businesses and organizations to commit to closing the gender pay gap by conducting annual gender pay analyses and adopting best practices in hiring, promotion, and compensation. Over 200 California employers have taken the pledge.
• Youth Advisory Council (YAC) A council providing young Californians ages 14-20 with a platform to engage with the Commission's legislative work, develop advocacy and leadership skills, and help shape policies impacting their lives.
• Pay Equity Task Force A statewide multi-stakeholder task force engaging diverse interests to facilitate ongoing dialogue about pay equity between employees, employers, policymakers, and experts in human resources and compensation practices.
• Girls in STEAM Program A program partnering with the California Department of Education and the CDE Foundation to address the lag of women and girls in STEAM fields by co-hosting the annual California STEAM Symposium.
• Women's Recovery Response Grant Program A grant program distributing state funding to 186 organizations to support women impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, providing direct services including childcare, menstrual products, meals, job training, housing, and counseling across California communities.
• California Women's Well-Being Index A multifaceted composite measure of women's well-being comprising five dimensions with 30 indicators covering health, personal safety, employment and earnings, economic security, and political empowerment across California's 58 counties, produced in partnership with the California Budget & Policy Center.
• Your Vote Is Your Voice Campaign A nonpartisan civic engagement campaign created with the California Secretary of State's Office to amplify voting resources available to California residents.

Quantifiable outcome

• Directly impacted 90,000+ women and girls through Women's Recovery Response grant program
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Girl Scouts California CouncilsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The Commission partners with the eight Girl Scout California Councils to elevate youth leadership voices and amplify intersectional messages of inclusivity for California's girls and gender-expansive youth. They collaborate on projects advancing gender equity, public policy advocacy, women and girls' legal rights, youth voices in STEAM, and joint campaigns including Girl Scouts Day at the Capitol.
• Latino Community FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration supporting Latinapreneurs in California, highlighting the 21,000+ Latina-owned businesses that make California home to 24% of all Latina-owned businesses in the nation. Partnership addresses contracting gaps and promotes economic equity.
• Mount Saint Mary's University - Center for the Advancement of WomenflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal collaboration contributing to advancement of California women and girls and promotion of gender equity. Partners produce research and reports including the annual Report on the Status of Women and Girls in California™ since 2012. Joint efforts include convenings, policy advocacy, and advisory capacity focused on economic equity and intersectional gender equity.
• California Budget & Policy CenterflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the California Budget & Policy Center to produce the California Women's Well-Being Index (WWBI), a multifaceted composite measure of women's well-being covering health, personal safety, employment and earnings, economic security, and political empowerment across all 58 California counties.
• First Partner Jennifer Siebel NewsomflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Office of the First Partner to lead the California Equal Pay Pledge initiative, encouraging businesses to close the gender pay gap. Over 200 employers have taken the pledge.
• California Partners ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting the California Equal Pay Pledge initiative and related gender equity campaigns in the workplace.
• ERA CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Commission is a proud member of the ERA Coalition, comprised of 200 national and local organizations representing millions of advocates working for equality. The Commission joined in 2022 and collaborates on events, community gatherings, and film screenings to raise awareness about the Equal Rights Amendment.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Mexican StatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of Understanding formalizing collaborative efforts promoting gender equality in the workplace, at home, and in society. Includes focused effort to raise awareness of gender-perspective within policymaking and entrepreneurship in California and to foster women's participation in the regional economy. Agreement formalized on May 4, 2021.
• Global Ties SacramentocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership connecting Commissioners and staff with delegations visiting Sacramento through the U.S. State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) to gain insight into cultural, political, and economic differences and similarities around the world.
• Congressional Office for International Leadership (Open World Program)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration through the Open World Program connecting the Commission with Eurasian leaders to witness democracy building in action, with focus on gender-based cultural exchange.
• Office of the Lieutenant GovernorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through the Lieutenant Governor's office dedicated to International Affairs work that presents opportunities for gender-focused exchange.
• Northern California World Trade Center (NorCalWTC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished relationship in 2019 helping companies develop international business through education, resources, and connections supporting the Commission's international exchange efforts.
• California Research BureaucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership conducting research including initial literature review on the state of women in California for the Women's Recovery Response effort launched in 2021.
• California Policy LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership conducting original research on points of pain and bright spots of hope for a more equitable economic recovery for women during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• California Legislative Women's CaucuscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner58-member bipartisan body of women elected leaders from the California Assembly and Senate collaborating on policy initiatives affecting women and girls.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women: A state-level commission in Massachusetts with the same statutory mandate to advance gender equity through policy advocacy, research, and partnerships, making it the most direct operational analogue to the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls.
• New York State Commission on the Status of Women: An independent state commission in New York performing parallel functions of policy advocacy, research, and convening on gender equity issues, and operating with a similar combination of gubernatorial appointees and statewide policy focus.
• New Jersey Commission on Women and Girls: New Jersey's state-level commission on women and girls, established to address gender equity through policy recommendations and stakeholder engagement, structurally analogous to the California Commission though newer and less established.
• California Legislative Women's Caucus: A 58-member bipartisan body of California women legislators that the Commission partners with directly; it operates in the same policy space on gender equity legislation and represents the legislative counterpart the Commission engages with.
• ERA Coalition: A national coalition of 200+ organizations working for gender equality, of which the California Commission is a member; it represents a peer advocacy network rather than a state agency, but shares the Commission's mission of advancing gender equity through coalition-based advocacy.

Broad incumbents

• White House Initiative on Women's Economic, Security, and Opportunity: A federal-level initiative that sets national gender equity policy across all states; it provides a broader umbrella for the type of work the California Commission performs, but operates at the federal level rather than at state level and lacks the Commission's grantmaking scope.
• National Conference of State Legislatures (Women Legislators): A national organization supporting state legislators including women lawmakers; it provides cross-state coordination and policy research that the California Commission engages with, and serves as a broader institutional peer in gender equity legislative work.

Others

• California Commission on the Status of Women (UN Women USA): A national nonprofit arm of UN Women working on gender equity; while not a state agency, it is a peer in the broader ecosystem of gender equity advocacy and a potential partner for the California Commission's international exchange programming.

Regional players

• California Department of Justice - Civil Rights Division: A California state agency enforcing civil rights law; it is a regional peer in the same geography and partially overlapping mandate (protecting women from discrimination), but operates through enforcement rather than policy advocacy and grantmaking.
• California Partnership to End Domestic Violence: A California statewide domestic violence coalition that the Commission's grantees and partners overlap with; it operates in a more specialized policy area (domestic violence) but shares the Commission's stakeholder base and California-only geographic focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CCSWG
• Facebookfacebook.com/CCSWG
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-commission-women-girls-1965
• Instagraminstagram.com/ccswg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls