SAN DIEGO — Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed Carlsbad resident and professor Joely Proudfit to the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, making her the first Indigenous woman to serve the organization.
Proudfit (Luiseño/Payómkawichum) is a professor at California State University, San Marcos who has served as American Indian studies chair and director of the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center since 2008.
During Proudfit’s four-year term, she not only plans to support the concerns of all women, she also hopes to highlight issues that impact Indigenous women and girls disproportionately.
Indigenous women and girls face disproportionately high rates of murder, domestic violence, sexual assault and disappearance in comparison to their non-native counterparts. A 2018 report from the Urban Indian Health Institute found that murder is the third-leading cause of death for Indigenous women and the Department of Justice reports nearly half of Indigenous women experience sexual assault.
“I think this is the platform in which to share with the rest of the state, the rest of the 40 million people that live here, about our Native women and girls and our presence and the contributions that we make to this state,” Proudfit said.
The issues the demographic faces can be multifaceted and complex, Proudfit said, adding that she hopes she can help the commission to understand the complexity and diversity of the barriers that Native women face.
In stepping into the role, Proudfit will join La Mesa Assemblymember Dr. Akilah Weber as the second commissioner from San Diego County.
The Commission on the Status of Women and Girls was launched in 1965 “to promote equality and justice for all women and girls,” in collaboration with the governor and state lawmakers, according to its website. It is made up of 15 members — seven of whom are appointed by the governor on a rotating basis — who advocate for reproductive choice, educational equity, economic equity and educating the community on the issue of violence against women.
Holly Martinez, the commission’s interim executive director, said she looks forward to everything Proudfit will bring to the table, from her experience as an educator at CSU San Marcos to her perspective on the needs of California’s diverse population.
“Having Professor Proudfit … bring in the perspective of Indigenous women and Native Americans is an incredible addition and a much-needed voice on our commission,” Martinez said.
The commission has programs that support women and girls on issues related to equitable pay, sexual assault victim services, access to abortion, voting equity, and in support of careers in STEAM fields — short for science, technology, engineering, art and math.
Much of the organization’s upcoming work will be related to recovering from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic recession it caused, Martinez said.
“As we look forward and move the work of the commission forward, we’re going to be really focusing on women’s and girls’ economic security and recovery, ways to champion and improve their health and wellness through programs and policy work, as well as really understanding the challenges women and girls face uniquely through the burden of both race and sex discrimination,” Martinez said.
A study from the California Budget & Policy Center found that 54% of California women lived in households that lost earnings during the pandemic, with Latino and Black women being even more likely to lose income. As of February, 11.8% of women were unemployed, compared to 10.7% of men.
For women, working from home during the pandemic has been more disruptive to their careers compared to men, a report from the Center for the Advancement of Women at Mount Saint Mary’s University found.
Women were more likely to leave the workforce during the pandemic and more likely to provide additional child care than men (41% compared with 15%). Men were more likely to report feeling more productive at home where children are present than women (77% compared with 46%), the report found. They were also more likely to report that working from home had a positive impact on their careers (57%) in comparison to women (29%).
Proudfit added that the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted some of the inequities that the Indigenous communities faces, especially when it comes to access to health care, education, employment opportunities and business development.
To address the impacts the COVID-19 pandemic has had on women throughout the state, the commission is projected to receive $7.9 million in the annual budget.
In addition to her work in academia, Proudfit is also the founder of two companies: a public relations agency and liaison between Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations (Naqmayam Communications), and Native Media Strategies, which aims to improve authentic representation of Indigenous peoples in Hollywood.
Throughout her career, Proudfit has found inspiration in many other Indigenous filmmakers, researchers and advocates on the local and national mediascape.
Her inspirations include professor Patricia Dixon (Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians), poet Suzan Shown Harjo (Cheyenne/Muscogee Creek), tribal leader Mary Ann Martin Andreas (Morongo Band of Mission Indians) and America’s first prima ballerina Maria Tallchief (Osage Nation). There’s also Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo), who became the first Indigenous Cabinet secretary when she was tapped by President Joe Biden to lead the Department of the Interior, which oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Whether it’s through her service to the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls or through articles she writes highlighting new film and television projects created by Native Americans, spotlighting the Indigenous community for future generations is a core driver behind what she does.
More so than anything, she is inspired to work in support of Indigenous women’s issues through her work as an academic, storyteller and media maker in large part for her 9-year-old daughter, and Proudfit hopes she’ll feel empowered to do meet any goals her heart desires.
“Representation truly does matter, and we need to have role models, we need to be seen and heard, and people need to understand that Native women are part of the tapestry that is America,” Proudfit said.
