The Commission works with city agencies and community groups to promote women's safety and women's participation in developing programs for themselves, their neighborhoods and the city as a whole. The three primary focuses have been on

• Domestic Violence
• Sexual Assault
• Safety Awareness/Self-Defense

If you are affected by Domestic Violence and need help, please call SafeLink, the     Massachusetts statewide hotline:  1-877-785-2020

The Commission has been co-leading a comprehensive planning process to engage all municipal resources as partners with the movements to stop violence against women in the city of Cambridge. This effort, The Domestic Violence-Free Zone Initiative, has engaged the entire city government in a process to answer the question, "what is the role of government when home is not safe?"  All DVFZ documents available at Domestic Violence Free Zone.

The Women's Commission director continues to co-coordinate the development of an 11-point, five-year Implementation Plan which establishes priorities for collaboration among city departments in confronting domestic violence. The DVFZ Initiative has completed several major projects during FY 99:

• Programs for Children Who Witness Family Violence – The core group published a comprehensive survey of all agencies serving Cambridge families and children regarding their needs for services to children who witness violence in their homes. Published in September, 1998, the survey provides an overview of current services and a blueprint for future development of programs in this key area. A multidisciplinary committee of representatives of the School Department, the Cambridge Health Alliance and community agencies which is chaired by Richard Wright of the Cambridge Public Health Department.

• Domestic Violence Training for City Departments -- With a grant from the federal Violence Against Women Act, the city completed training in domestic violence detection, referral and support for every employee of the Department of Human Service Programs and the Cambridge Housing Authority. In addition, specialized training programs were developed for staff dealing with particular populations, including those working with children, adolescents and elders. As a result of this training, the Housing Authority has hired a member of its security team with specific expertise and responsibilities in responding to domestic violence situations within its housing developments. • Training Video – In September, 1999, the DVFZ Initiative will unveil a 90-minute training video for city departments which provides an overview of the causes, effects and available responses to domestic violence. It utilizes city employees and members of community agencies in a creative multi-lingual series of re-enactments and vignettes. The video will also be aired on the city’s municipal cable television channel.

• Two-year Report – The core group released a full report on its first two years of work in March, 1999; that report is available at the Women’s Commission offfice.

The Domestic Violence Task Force

This seven-year-old network of more than twenty local agencies and organizations, coordinated and staffed by the Women's Commission, meets monthly to solve problems, improve communication and increase services related to domestic violence.

"Cambridge After Hours"

The Women's Commission initiated this collaborative effort among the city's License Commission, Community Oriented Policing Leadership Council and the Central Square neighborhood Association to address safety issues for women leaving the city's bars and nightclubs at closing time after a series of assaults. The Cambridge Women’s Safety Network authored and distributed a brochure to all clubs and bars in Central Square, titled Will This Be A Night to Remember? to assist women to identify unsafe situations and to make decisions and seek help when they are participating in night life in the city.  The brochure is available in the Women's Commission office or call to have it sent to you.

The Commission co-sponsored a series of safety and self-defense workshops with the Police Department, featuring the Rape Awareness Defense program taught by two female police officers. The Commission also sponsored a specialized mother/guardian-daughter street-safe workshop presented by Girls' Leapa project of the Cambridge Women’s Safety Network which develops specialized safety curriculum for adolescent girls. In addition the Commission presented a program on Safety Tips for Seniors at the East End House. More than 300 women and girls have participated in these popular and effective programs. The Cambridge Women’s Safety Network, staffed by the Commission, met monthly and installed educational exhibits in Central Square store fronts on incidents of violence against women.