Program promotes equity for local women
When it comes to the status of women in Fayette and Greene counties, things could be better. “Today, we’re looking at the status of women but we’re not here to mope and groan,’ said Heather Arnet, executive director of the Women and Girls Foundation. “We’re saying, ‘What can we do to change this?”
The Women and Girls Foundation (WGF) partnered with the Community Foundation of Fayette County and the Community Foundation of Greene County to bring its Road 2 Equity Tour to Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, on Wednesday. The goal of Road 2 Equity is to provide information and skills needed for people to improve the status of women in their own communities.
“We believe that gender equality is important to the whole community,’ said Arnet, noting, for example, “If women are earning less than men in a community, why would women want to move here? We’re doing this so our region can attract the best talent. And it’s important to men who have wives and daughters and mothers and sisters. This is everybody’s issue – it’s a community issue. That’s why we look to days like this to ask what a community can do to make it happen.’
“I’m really excited about our partnering with the Women and Girls Foundation,’ said Clara Pascoe, executive director of the Community Foundation of Fayette County. “… We want to make a difference from within.’
The Women and Girls Foundation, which began in 2002 and started grant making in 2004, serves 11 counties in southwestern Pennsylvania, including Fayette and Greene as well as Washington, Westmoreland, Allegheny, Beaver, Lawrence, Mercer, Butler, Armstrong and Indiana.
“We invest in programs to seed long-term equity for women and girls,’ explained Arnet. “The programs have to be focused on systems change. The mission of the foundation is to achieve equality for women and girls – equal rights. Women should be paid dollar for dollar the same as men. Women should be in leadership – political, corporate and civic leadership. They should have equal opportunity to all these things.’
Meeting at Penn State’s Swimmer Hall, Road 2 Equity began with a presentation by Kristin M. DeLuca, director of the Regional Women’s Initiative at Chatham College in Pittsburgh – which also is partnering with the Women and Girls Foundation – called “The Status of Women in Southwest Pennsylvania Report Overview’ and in particular about the status of women in Fayette and Greene counties.
DeLuca said Chatham and WGF decided to create the report when they found most available information centered on women living in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.
The results of the report showed the need for improvement for women in political participation, earnings, higher education and health care. This did not surprise the audience who attended Road 2 Equity but it provided food for thought and a base on which to seek change.
In a segment called Next Steps, DeLuca talked about the need to eliminate the wage gap, invest in female entrepreneurship, increase the level of women-centered health care, increase the representation of women on boards, recruit employers that have family friendly corporate practices and benefits and increase women’s political participation and representation.
Discussion about the information turned to the subject of age: are younger women receiving higher education and better health care than older women? DeLuca noted that younger women are starting to pursue college degrees at a higher rate. But Arnet noted this shows the need to fix the wage gap or it will send the message to women: “Don’t come to the southwestern Pennsylvania region because we’ll pay less. We need to make the region more attractive to college graduates.’
Other discussion turned to problems of transportation, voter turnout and the impact of poverty as well as attracting women to run for public office.
“In politics, we say women won’t run unless asked, ‘ said Arnet. “I’m asking every woman in this room to run for office.’
She also explained the wage gap begins when a woman accepts a starting salary she’s offered while a man asks for more and receives it. When a raise is offered, a woman accepts it, while the man asks for more and receives it.
To help bridge that gap, WGF and the Community Foundation are offering a workshop called Catapult on Saturday, April 14, at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Spa in Farmington that will offer breakfast, lunch and a full day of salary negotiation tips. Dr. Linda Babcock, who wrote “Women Don’t Ask,’ will be the trainer.
Other positive steps in the community also were discussed Wednesday, including a program called dual enrollment offered by Penn State that allows high school students to take college courses at a reduced cost.
“Some high school students are doing as well or better than traditional students,’ said Yasmin Brown, assistant coordinator of grants and contract management for Penn State Fayette.
Brown noted Penn State will also offer a workshop for high school students about women in non-traditional professions on April 11.
She said, “It will let girls know about some good paying jobs, and we’ll also have a fashion show – what would a construction worker wear? What does a police officer wear? What does an astronaut wear?’
In addition, WGF offers a Girls as Grantmakers program in which money is set aside for teenagers to grant money to other teenagers in their communities.
Pascoe noted, “This introduces girls to foundation work and philanthropy.’
Road 2 Equity included a grant makers forum and a strategy session on advocacy training. For more information on WGF, visit www.wgfpa.org
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