(1) Act as a central clearinghouse and coordinating body for governmental and nongovernmental activities and information relating to the status of women;

(2) Accumulate, compile, and publish information concerning instances of actual discrimination, and discrimination in the law, against women;

(3) Cooperate with the department of labor and industrial relations and other state departments and agencies and appropriate federal offices and agencies in correcting unlawful employment practices, in public and private employment, involving discrimination because of sex;

(4) Create public awareness and understanding of the responsibilities, needs, potentials, and contributions of women as homemakers, workers, and active participants in community life and of the importance of each of these roles in the changing society;

(5) Recommend legislative and administrative action on equal treatment and opportunities for women;

(6) Seek improvements in educational and counseling programs and policies to meet the needs of girls and women in order better to prepare them for their roles in the home and community;

(7) Encourage a long-range program of education of women in their political rights and responsibilities, particularly with respect to their voting duties;

(8) Maintain contacts with appropriate federal, state, local and international agencies concerned with the status of women;

(9) Cooperate with national groups on the status of women and arrange for participation by representatives of the State in White House conferences and other national conferences from time to time;

(10) Administer funds allocated for its work; be authorized to accept, disburse, and allocate funds which may become available from other governmental and private sources; provided that all such funds shall be disbursed or allocated in compliance with any specific designation stated by the donor and in the absence of such specific designation, such funds shall be disbursed or allocated on projects related to any of the purposes of this chapter; and

(11) Submit an annual report with recommendations to the governor and the legislature. [L 1970, c 190, pt of §1; am L 1972, c 81, §1]