Posted Courtesy of Wright Enterprises Community Spotlight San Francisco ~Dallas
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications, mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org
***PRESS RELEASE***
MAYOR BREED AND CITY LEADERS CELEBRATE WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
The annual celebration recognizes five local woman leaders for their dedication to community
advocacy and improving the lives of San Francisco residents
San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed today joined the Department on the Status of Women (DOSW), Elected and City leaders, and community advocates to celebrate Women’s History Month at City Hall. At the celebration, the Mayor honored five local women for their contributions to San Francisco. This year’s event is themed ‘Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.’
“During Women’s History Month, we take the time to honor and celebrate the fearless women who have led the fight for equality and advanced our progress in this City. I am proud of San Francisco’s long history of supporting women and every person’s right to freedom of choice and equality,” said Mayor London Breed. “Thank you to the five women we honor today who have gone above and beyond to ensure women across all communities in San Francisco have access to every opportunity, and the women who are doing this work every day not just in San Francisco but around the world.”
“Today we are honoring five of San Francisco’s finest. For decades, these incredible women have served as physical manifestations of diversity, equity, and inclusion for our city’s women, girls and nonbinary people,” said Kimberly Ellis, Director of the Department on the Status of Women. “This year, with so much going on in the world, it’s important to lift up women who continue to contribute to our communities and serve as beacons of hope and light. That’s what Women’s History Month is all about, and that’s what this year’s honorees have always been about.”
The honorees recognized today by Mayor Breed are:
- Claudine Cheng, Film Commissioner
- Hala Hijazi, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, HKH Consulting Inc.
- Jaynry Mak, President of the Portsmouth PZ Parking Corp. and Chairwoman of the Community Youth Center
- Mattie Scott, founder and Executive Director of Healing 4 Our Families and Our Nation
- Roselyne “Cissie” Swig, Board of Directors for The Swig Company
Claudine Cheng is an accomplished attorney, committed civic rights advocate, and President of the Asian Pacific American Heritage Foundation. Cheng also served on several commissions, where she has been actively engaged in public and community service on a wide range of policy areas.
Hala Hijazi has been a community leader for decades, and is committed to advancing civil and human rights. Hijazi is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of HKH Consulting Inc., a San Francisco-based, woman-owned business specializing in business development, strategic planning, government and legislative affairs, and public relations.
Jaynry Mak has spent over 20 years advocating for youth and programs to improve the well-being of our young people. Mak is an attorney who has fought for historically underrepresented communities. Her lifetime efforts in advocating for women's rights and fighting to increase critical funding for youth programs has earned her numerous awards and recognitions, including Cathay Post #384’s Community Hero Award.
Mattie Scott is known as a champion for gun violence survivors and a long-time community activist. She is the San Francisco Chapter Leader of Mothers-in-Charge and works in prevention advocacy with Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. Scott is also a mother who has dedicated her life to violence prevention, intervention, and educational awareness who works to address the root causes of gun violence.
Roselyne “Cissie” Swig is a prominent philanthropist and civic leader. Swig’s lifetime efforts in promoting the arts, women empowerment, education, political advocacy, and more earned her numerous awards from the community, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the San Francisco Arts Commission.
Under Mayor London Breed’s leadership, representation of women on policy bodies continues to increase. Out of 337 Mayoral Commission appointees, 54% identify as women. As of 2024, 58% of City Department Heads and 45% of the workforce identifies as women.
Additionally, the Mayor has spearheaded several key efforts to support women during her tenure, including creating the Bay Area Abortion Rights Coalition, launching the Women and Families First Initiative and Women’s Construction Academy, securing investment for the Violence Against Women Prevention and Intervention, the Abundant Birth Project and Women’s Summits.
Mayor Breed continues to build on San Francisco’s long history of supporting women’s rights and freedoms. For more information about this work, please see the Mayor’s statement.