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Honor Women’s History Month: Work for Change 

 

by Wendy Doyle, President & CEO, Women’s Foundation

For 25 years the Women’s Foundation has promoted equity and opportunity for women of all ages.  We’ve worked for change through research, philanthropy, and more recently, policy solutions.  In honor of Women’s History Month, we celebrate the women who have come before us with a fresh resolve to advance their unfinished work in four key areas:

In honor of Women’s History Month, let’s make pay inequity HISTORY.

Our research on the Status of Women in Missouri shows that women, on average, make 78 cents to the dollar a man makes for the same work. We work with policymakers on both sides of the aisle to raise awareness and advance policies to close the gender pay gap. Our Pay Equity Best Practices Guidelines continue to serve as a roadmap for success as we work with industry leaders and the administration to make pay inequity a thing of the past.

In honor of Women’s History Month, let’s make the leadership gap HISTORY.

Wendy Doyle
Wendy Doyle

Our research also shows that despite making up 51% of Missouri’s population, women make up only 22% of the General Assembly (fewer than in 2015), only 24 percent of state court judges and only 19 percent of all state prosecutors. Historically, women have not been proactively engaged to serve in public leadership roles. Our Appointments Project seeks to change that. Through our Appointments Project we’ve worked with governors, mayors, and county officials to equip women with the skills and resources necessary to take advantage of civic board or commission leadership opportunities.  Also, through our Girls Leadership program, we’re giving young women the opportunity to develop leadership skills and learn about philanthropy. Through these programs, we’re building the pipelines to make the gender leadership gap history.

In honor of Women’s History Month, let’s make barriers holding back women entrepreneurs HISTORY.

Last year, thanks to the generous support of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, we conducted research on Occupational Licensing & Women Entrepreneurship. We found that occupational licensing regulations were outdated and burdensome for women entrepreneurs. This year, we have worked with leaders across the political spectrum to implement solutions that will empower women. Missouri House Speaker Todd Richardson spoke at our 2016 Annual Luncheon, where he announced he would prioritize removing occupational licensing barriers this session. We’ve testified in support of bills proposed by Speaker Pro Tem Elijah Haahr and Representative Shamed Dogan to combat these burdensome licensing requirements. Outdated occupational licensing requirements are a barrier for women entrepreneurs — and we’re working to make them history.

In honor of Women’s History Month, let’s make the false choice between work and family HISTORY.

Our policy brief on Paid Family Leave indicates that paid family leave strengthens families, reduces reliance on government assistance, and supports business growth. Women who utilize paid family leave are 39 percent less likely to receive public assistance, are more likely to continue working after the birth of the child, and are able to care for children and the elderly. Our research has also shown that paid family leave had either a positive effect or no noticeable effect on productivity, profitability, turnover, and employee morale. Also, long term productivity can increase due to improved recruitment, retention, and employee motivation. By working with policymakers like Speaker Richardson, State Auditor Nicole Galloway, Senator Caleb Rowden, Representative Jay Barnes and others, we can make the false choice between work and family yesterday’s problem.

Work for Change

Each of these barriers present unique obstacles women face that significantly impact their lives, their families, and their pocketbooks. We are committed to economically empowering women by making these barriers HISTORY. You can learn more about Women’s Foundation and join our mission to create lasting change for women and their families at Womens-Foundation.org.