Contact Us:

Commission
Board

Carol Walker
Executive Director

Emma E. Houston
Chair

Dr. Kay T. Swan
Chair-Elect

JoAnn Neilson
Secretary/Historian

Dr. Helen V. Graber
Treasurer

Commission
Members

Ruth Jackson

Emma Kuykendall

Bruce G. Parry

Barbara Smith

About Us - Mission - History

A recent picture of some of the Commission - Board Members with Governor Walker - click here or on the picture to enlarge!

A Brief Commission Overview - Mission:

The Utah Commission for Women & Families (UCWF) was established by the Utah State Legislature more than 30 years ago.  

The mission of the UCWF is:  

• To advise and confer with the governor, legislators and state agencies concerning issues of importance to women and families in Utah.
• To serve as a contact and coordinating group to analyze state and local rights of women, men and families.
• To serve as a catalyst for creation of needed services and programs for women and families of Utah.
• To provide GIFT Conferences focusing on families and partnering with other organizations throughout the state.
• UCWF focuses on everything from Domestic Violence to Child Care.

History:

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy established the President's Commission on the Status of Women. The idea for the Commission came from Esther Peterson, a Utah native who was the Director of the U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau. She persuaded President Kennedy to appoint Eleanor Roosevelt as the first Chair and served as Vice Chair. Following the lead of President Kennedy, Governor George D. Clyde appointed the first Committee on the Status of Women in Utah in January of 1964.

The original seven members of this Committee were reappointed in 1965 by Governor Calvin L. Rampton, and he increased the membership to nine. Officially created by Executive Order in 1968, the Committee functioned with the assistance and financial support of women's organizations. In addition, the Committee members collected S&H Green Stamps to cover the cost of publishing reports.

The year 1973 was a landmark in the history of the Committee. On May 8, 1973, the Legislature officially designated it a Commission by state law. Fifteen members were appointed by the Governor to serve four-year terms without pay. The law outlined the purpose of the Commission: "to advise and confer with the Governor and state agencies concerning issues of importance to women and families in Utah." The sum of $21,200 was appropriated to fund the new Commission, and a small office was established.

Due to the controversy surrounding the Equal Rights Amendment, many states abolished their women's commissions in 1978. Although the Utah Legislature did not rescind the Commission, it was not funded again until 1990.

In 1989, the name of the Commission was changed to the Governor's Commission for Women & Families and in 2004 to the Utah Commission for Women & Families. Currently, the bylaws allow for fifteen Commissioners. These appointments are filled by both men and women. The Commission employs an Executive Director.