In 1976, the County of Riverside Board of Supervisors established a temporary Committee on the Status of Women, which was made permanent in 1978. In 1983, the committee was elevated to commission status. In 1987, the name was modernized from Commission on the Status of Women to its current title of the Commission for Women.

In its work for women, the Commission, part of a network of local, state, and national commissions, focuses on a variety of concerns. These include child care, violence against women, legal rights, legislation, housing, problems of the aged, single parents, medical care for women, prenatal care and sexual harassment. A goal of the Commission is to promote diversity within the community.