 ThinkTek Hawaii, civil engagement lives here. Happy Aloha Friday and welcome to a brand new episode of Perspectives on Global Justice, ThinkTek Hawaii. This is your host, Beatrice Cantelmo. My mother used to tell me that women are born majestic by the simple virtue of being born a woman. So I am of the opinion that we all should honor and celebrate women every day. March 8 was the International Women's Day across the globe. In 2018, more women are uniting on a women's global movement for women's rights, equality, justice and the right of women in political representation. Now we are seeing global marches in campaigns, including the Me Too and the Time Is Up movement in the United States and in other countries. This year, the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women drew attention to the rights and activism of rural women who make up over a quarter of the world's population. They have been fighting for women's rights and gender equality for a long time, yet they have been left behind in every measure of development across the globe. Today, we are honored by the presence of guest Kara Jabola-Karuluz. We will have a conversation about women's issues in the State of Hawaii and about the formation and activities of Hawaii State Commission on Status of Women. We will also discuss vision and vision of this wonderful commission and their very important role in all pro-women and pro-family legislation in the State of Hawaii. And we will have also time to talk about Title IX and other legislations there on the legislative floor right now and the Me Too reaction and response in our state, as well as the Me Too prevention training to challenge male inequality in the workplace in the State of Hawaii. On that note, welcome to our program. Mahalo. Thank you for having me. Thank you. So to our viewers, would you mind giving a little background about where are you coming from and where are you at right now in this process? So I am here on behalf of the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, which was created by executive order in 1964, so progeny of what the so-called second wave of feminism. And it's the agency, state agency, charged with being a watchdog for women and girls across Hawaii and also a central resource place. So we lead on legislative advocacy in coordination with women's community leaders. Right. And so you're talking about the formation of the commission and can you give our viewers a little perspective of what the bumps in the roads and the accomplishments have been like since its inception? Sure. So the commission has led the way on a number of key pieces of legislation. Most recent, one of the biggest ones most controversially was access to emergency contraception for rape victims. That was a huge victory. But through the years, it hasn't just been about legislation but also providing data and benchmarks for women in the state and recording our progress. So this has been women's collective progress. And one of the biggest functions for us is making sure that women have a place to go that they know they will be believed and protected and fought for. Right. Well, this is so important. And I know that it's 2018 and I think globally all women have this sentiment that it's beyond past the time that we have these safety measurements in place and data is such an important aspect of it. Like how do we know what the problems are and how do we measure progress and how do we learn about where we are if we don't have that. Also I think the part of funding for commissions to be able to exist and to be active, where has Hawaii been in this aspect? Well, funding is a statement of value, right? So I think that the commission on the status of women could most definitely use some more fiscal support from the state in order to fulfill our mandate and what women and girls deserve. I think that we have really strong women's leadership in our state legislature as well as in our congressional delegation. This is a really positive thing for Hawaii that a lot of other jurisdictions can't boast. And we want that translated though to this agency. So I think that we still have a ways to go in terms of institutionalizing our value of women and our respect for women and where we need to get them. Right. So the commission really covers all of the islands of Hawaii, the entire state of Hawaii. Yeah, so we have county commissions for each county and it's really great to be able to have that presence. I know I'm by island so I also live in Kihei and it's really important to have that other perspective rather than just a completely Oahu-centric focus because the issues are so different, particularly in more rural areas. So let's talk a little bit about women's issues in Hawaii and you were able to make a beautiful distinction between issues of more urban area versus rural areas. There are obviously different needs and different issues. So would you tell us a little bit of what you've noticed? One of the biggest problems has been access to certain services relating to reproductive health and reproductive justice. And I know that we might have some really great laws relative to other states that we've enshrined and are protecting here in Hawaii, but it doesn't mean anything if women can't access those services because the logistics aren't in place for them. So that's one of the key issues for women on Kauai, women on Hawaii Island relative to Oahu and Maui even. So what is missing for these key legislation pieces to be implemented? We have the laws so what is the next step to make it happen? Well, one of the things that I think people don't realize is all of the work that goes on behind the scenes to pass bold pro-women legislation every year. So there's a package actually that the Women's Coalition, which is all of the different women's advocates anyone can join can come to the table. There's no government involved except for my position and kind of coordinating it all. And we create a package that we work with the women's legislative caucus, they have their own, and introduce it at the very beginning of session together and prepare. But to your question, what else needs to be in place, since we do have these women working so hard, is I think one of the biggest obstacles can actually be government itself. I think that certain government agencies want to avoid or limit liability to themselves even when they're participating in civil rights violations. And one of the biggest challenges is their method of lobbying. I think it's really difficult to be able to have open discussions and push and pass legislation if things aren't happening in a transparent way. So I know that's one challenge. So how would you hope that the commission will move forward in this process to help lobbying to be more balanced and for transparency in communication when discussions need to occur to actually start happening? That really puts a stop in, I think, any process. So identifying that is a fast step in recognizing, but then we know we have a challenge. And so what are your suggestions to make this whole brand new chapter in reality moving forward? Well, I'm excited to be at the commission because I get to be in government and I get to liaise with people who are going to be my colleagues who are my peers within the system. So be able to use my power relative in this position to push actors to be more accountable. On the other hand, though, it doesn't start and end with government at all. It needs to really start with activism and the community. And I think that we have a duty to support community groups and community voices and to be fully accessible to those voices and responsive. So you touched on a very core piece for Hawaii. And I think across the nation, but especially in Hawaii, which, yes, is the work with our representatives, but also the work with the community in terms of supporting grassroots organizing and activism, but also that part that they can be harder and also making it accessible, not just for folks who are in Honolulu because it seems to me I always ends up being in a movement that's driven and always highlighted in Honolulu. And I know that we have other islands and amazing women who are walking so hard. So what is the vision to make sure that this work is done in the spirit of unity and that space and that room on the table is available to? Well, we can talk about legislation and how to get people more involved with the state legislature, which unfortunately is on Oahu and requires really intensive care when you want to champion something through during this January through May. But there's also stuff that can be done at the county level. For example, Maui just enshrined the principles of SIDA, the International Bill of Rights for Women at the county level. So you can engage local government there, but it's not just about legislation. And I think we put way too much focus on legislation and have underestimated institutionalized social norms in our neighborhoods and our communities. So I think to engage people outside of Oahu, the commission just needs to continue to work with its county commissions and also have a listening process for different community groups that are active on the ground because nothing can substitute that and nothing's more valuable than that. Because if we're not responding to what the community needs, then we're not doing our job. And there is also a big difference I think in terms of community voices of women in different parts of Hawaii, not only in terms of ethnic background but also values and beliefs. And I really am excited that the commission has this commitment to make sure that all voices are heard and acknowledged. It's hard work and I think it's very needed. So it's past the time. It is. I was just on Maui during that SIDA hearing and what I did is I spent a day with Latina women organizers who are part of a community that we have a really difficult time hearing, I think. And they had a rally around International Women's Day and then we sat down together to do a training on the gender system and all the different problems that we're facing because of that that are further burdensome because of issues of citizenship and language access and race and not having class privilege. So I love that part of the work and I'm really looking forward to that part of the work. You are the perfect fit for this beautiful position that you are championing and it's quite a legacy I think to be able to carry forward and to not only recognize and learn from the past but also having that vision of what's happening presently and that ability to not only bring people together, the humility to listen and to take notes and to report back and to say okay this is what's happening with this group and the more people will feel like that that sense of trust can be fostered again and that that credibility can be restated and then as a result I think it will be a really stronger movement. That's really neat. So we're going to take a very quick break and be right back. Hi my name is Bill Shaw our host of Asian Review coming to you from Honolulu, Hawaii right here in the center of the Pacific Ocean. Asian Review is the oldest of the 35 or so shows broadcast by Think Tech Hawaii. We've been in production since 2009. Our goal is to provide you the viewer with information breaking information about events in Asia. Asia being anything from Hawaii west to Pakistan from the Russian far east south to Australia and New Zealand. We hope to see you every Monday afternoon at 5 p.m. Hey Aloha, Stan Energyman here on Think Tech Hawaii where community matters. This is the place to come to think about all things energy. We talk about energy for the grid, energy for vehicles, energy and transportation, energy and maritime, energy and aviation. We have all kinds of things on our show but we always focus on hydrogen here in Hawaii because it's my favorite thing. That's what I like to do. But we talk about things that make a difference here in Hawaii, things that should be a big changer for Hawaii. And we hope that you'll join us every Friday at noon on Stan Energyman and take a look with us at new technologies and new thoughts on how we can get clean and green in Hawaii. Aloha. Welcome back to Perspectives on Global Justice. Think Tech Hawaii. This is your host Beatrice Contamble and we're back with Kara. So Kara, in our previous segment we were talking about all of these amazing things that the commission is faced with not only in terms of plans and invitations to grow, to regroup and it's been resurrected after a while where you had a really hard time and I'm really excited. So to talk about the work that it's being done right now at the later level. So we could cover a little bit of where things are at. So would you like to start with Title IX? Sure. I'd like to start with Title IX. It's a great opening. So Title IX is the capital T federal civil rights legislation that prohibits sex discrimination. That includes sexual harassment and sexual violence on campuses. So in schools that receive any or programs that receive federal funding. So we have a unique legacy in Hawaii because that legislation was championed by Patsy Mink, the late Patsy Mink. And so we want a state version of Title IX not just because of what's happening at the federal level, which is a threat to this particular legislation, but also because students don't have a place to go right now at the state level and in fact under current law employees have greater protections against sexual harassment than students. I was so shocked to learn that. I came across the bill that was introduced in Hawaii this year and I had this assumption that it was following in a federal trend and it was like unbelievable. So where are things at with this bill in Hawaii right now? So good news and bad news or bad news and good news. Would you like to start with the bad news? Let's start with the bad news. So the legislation that was crafted with everybody at the table unfortunately has died. So our initial vehicles have not moved forward in the process but we still have a bill, carryover bill that was recently resurrected. I hate introducing a bunch of bill numbers because they're really dry for folks but it's HB 1489. Okay. Yeah. So it lives on and we're now using that as the primary vehicle for the legislation and I think it's really important because just a week ago we saw on this or this week actually we saw in the Star Advertiser a 16-year-old student, Kenzie Ozoa, who wrote this incredibly articulate and brave piece describing witnessing how her school protected rapists and essentially is whitewashing sexual assault as bullying and how unacceptable this is and we've seen a lot of different high-profile news about the failures of the Department of Education to comply. Title IX passed in 1972 so it's had almost 50 years to comply and compliance is very different from having a process of accountability through effective enforcement. Exactly. So not wanting to be controversial but wanting to bring a little bit of spin in that so 45 years has passed since Title IX was passed in the United States at the federal level. Why do you think Hawaii is having such a hard time with compliance? I think this has to do with the title of our program, mainstreaming feminism because we know that just injecting women into government or into processes or putting something on the books isn't enough. We can't just add things on paper or add women into these institutions and stir. It doesn't work like that. We need a commitment against sexism, the system of sexism in Hawaii and we're still entrenched in that system unfortunately. So it's been met with a lot of obstruction so it's been intentionally obstructed but not only that it's the culture too that we're talking about. And so yes so there is a lot of education and learning to be done in the upcoming years until we can have this fully implemented and the accountability is in place also for it to happen. So Title IX what is the next legislation you would like to cover? Well I feel torn in prioritizing some of them because we have so many great advocates and all of these bills are equally important in terms of uplifting women collectively. One of the big ticket items is paid family leave. Yes. Hawaii as part of the United States is a dubious outlier. I was at a rally recently that we hosted along with some community groups and what I said at that rally was that Mother's Day is my least favorite holiday as a mother because if Hawaii honored women it wouldn't be this hard to have paid maternity and paternity leave. And so we're really close this year you know it's I absolutely do not take any credit for this effort it has been the former executive director Kathy Betts pushing it just tirelessly and working with a lot of different stakeholders and particularly women on the ground to get this done so I'm hoping that this is the year for that. Me too you know and so for our viewers who would like to follow the status of what's happening with all of these bills and would like to also be involved not only during legislative season but throughout the year what would be your advice for them? How do they access all of this and get engaged? Well it's not women's issues I think first of all we need to do away with that notion because it's women who are part of our lives almost I mean we were created by women so this is something that we need to talk about in terms of how we're not valuing women and the best way to do that I think is to either reach out to us with your particular interest we have many different platforms we're on Instagram status of women Hawaii we're on Facebook we also can of course be called to get involved with either legislation or training programs so we launched a Me Too prevention training which I'd really love folks to learn more about. So let's talk about Me Too not only as a movement but the training that is being implemented here in Hawaii. Okay yeah I'm excited about it because it's a it's a new model there are other training programs of course there's mandatory sexual harassment in certain workplaces but those work off of a legal framework and about proceeding justice through criminalization or civil sanctions and occasionally some of them are a little bit broader and talk about maybe healthy healthier behaviors or strategies but they never take a panoramic view of what we're participating in and why those conditions are still so disfavorable to women so this training in particular focuses more on the culture that we are creating we hear this big word patriarchy it's a buzzword it's been all over our feeds this past year thanks to feminist activists but understanding that we are patriarchy and how to unlearn that. Exactly and you know like you know like what does it look like and what it smells like you know and how we're propagating that even when we don't think we are not I think part of the awareness and being able to have these candid dialogues you know is very important you know and not just with women but you know with everyone in the community all ages you know all genders and check our biases because we all have implicit biases even we don't acknowledge that but we do and how are we going to be able to change it you know if we're not able to really have this platform that's safe direct you know educational why people can really come forward and say all right you know here's what I know and you know like it can be given more food for thoughts and that exchange can continue to happen you know so this is really exciting and so so like what has been the response like for me to from your perspective when you started being involved with the community organizing and hearing the voices of individuals here in Hawaii and where did these trainings and dialogues have happened in our island so far. So the response has been really encouraging because I think that there were activists and activist groups where women could go with their anger and where men could go with their empathy so there are those outlets here and one of them was that training and so the response has been we can no longer pretend that we don't know sexism is a normal part of everyday life for the majority of women we're beyond that now we see the wall of silence it has been exposed that huge wall that women can't even get to do process or get to any justice until we chip away at that wall so there's this advance this collective advance to level the wall that I'm so encouraged by and I've personally trained everyone from the office of the prosecuting attorney on Kauai to the National Association of Social Workers with this training we've been reached out to by folks in the legal world as well as many different classrooms at UH and programs so it's just a way to approach an uncomfortable topic because it's so personal gender is just so personal to all of us and so it feels really threatening but this is not of course a fix all but it's a start of broadening the conversation because I think there's still a lot of fear oh yes so we have one minute left and I wanted to ask you if you could elaborate to our viewers you know one thought of help and encouragement for those who are still struggling with the fear and one word of encouragement for those who are in the trenches you know doing this and feeling like they're picking their heads against the wall but you know still keep going because like this is not a new movement you know I think women's rights has been something that's been fought across the globe before centuries you know so I love yeah I love that thought that feminism started when the first woman said that she's not going to accept her status in the role given to her by patriarchy I think that we need to find courage and hope in the fact that it is just it is just starting we're putting so much weight on ourselves like why haven't we fixed 4,000 years of being subordinated and that's because we're just starting and we've done so much already so there's so much hope in that and I'm just one tiny piece of a long line of women and women in front of me are going to continue that and we have to do it for them we have to create a bigger platform so that they can go higher and the women living in fear right now know that there are women ready to stand with you there are women publicly stand with you not just as a support network to heal through what you've gone through but there are ways where you can get support whether it's legally or in another way that's more that's more appropriate to finding a sense of collective justice and I'm really happy about that feminism is the coolest it's the best I think that the future isn't female the future is feminist if we're going to have a future at all and I think that people are going to really understand this the more we go forward and become closer and more healthy and stronger as a result so thank you thank you well I couldn't have said it better I hope you come back to our program many times throughout the years and that we can give continuity to what we just have started here thank you so very much and this concludes our another episode of Perspectives on Global Justice. Thank you very much for watching us and