CELEBRATING WOMEN AND WORKING FOR GENDER EQUITY

The world celebrated International Women’s Day on Thursday to honor the social, economic, and political achievements of women across the globe and highlight the considerable work that still needs to be done to provide more leadership and economic opportunities for women and eliminate gender inequity in the workplace and elsewhere. The day was marked by actions across the globe, with women walking out on strike in Europe to protest the gender pay gap and holding #MeToo rallies in South Korea. In the Bay Area and throughout California, women continue to be underrepresented in top leadership roles across many industries and challenged by some workplace practices.

The Bay Area Council has been working through our Gender Equity and Diversity Committee to address these issues, including releasing a Best Practices Resource Guide to build gender equity in the workplace.

You can join the Council’s Gender Equity and Diversity Committee at one of our upcoming meetings to discuss opportunities to advance gender parity in the workplace. On March 30 the committee will convene to hear the results of a transformative Bain & Company study about how flexible workplace policies support thriving employees (not just women) and improve overall employee retention within companies.

On April 12 we are honored to be hosting state Senator Connie Leyva (D-Chino) for a discussion on her new bill to address the rampant culture of sexual harassment across the nation. In response to the #MeToo movement, SB 820 would ban secret settlements in the cases of sexual harassment and sexual assault in an effort to address cultures of predatory behavior in the workplace. A new NBC News poll released today revealed that a majority of Americans believe the #MeToo movement has helped address gender inequality.

To engage in the Council’s Gender Equity & Diversity Committee work, please contact Policy Director Emily Loper.