Women and Girls in Connecticut:

Steady Progress, But Not Equal Yet

HARTFORD — “It depends on whether we take a ‘half empty’ or ‘half full’ point of view,” said Tanya Meck, chairperson of Connecticut Permanent Commission on the Status of Women. “It’s true that women and girls have made breathtaking gains in the past 30 years in our state — in professional options, leadership roles, athletics.  But, as a group we still earn nearly 25 percent less than men, are more likely to be poor as we grow older, and are still the targets of violence.

“And as a society, we still haven’t figured out how to balance work and family obligations,” Ms Meck said. “The deepest, underlying inequalities are the hardest to eliminate.  We are proud of our accomplishments, but determined to keep on working until the work is done.”

The Permanent Commission on the Status of Women held its Tenth Annual Making Women Visible Day this week to highlight the challenges and barriers facing women and girls in Connecticut.  Based on responses submitted by 30 Connecticut organizations that serve or advocate for women and girls, the list of challenges includes:  health care; equal pay and equal opportunity; balancing work and family; and violence against women.

“Because Connecticut is one of the best states in the country in terms of laws and leadership for women, we have a responsibility to look below the surface to see what works and what does not work,” said Leslie Brett, PCSW executive director.  “For example, we’ve had laws prohibiting sex discrimination in employment and wages for 30 years, yet we still have tremendous inequality.  We need to look below the surface at job segregation and work/family conflicts.  The next solutions are staring us in the face — we have to raise wages for traditionally female occupations such as childcare and healthcare, and invest more in childcare and family leave policies.”

Key elected officials joined the PCSW at the kick-off press conference, including Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz; Treasurer Denise Nappier; Comptroller Nancy Wyman; Attorney General Richard Blumenthal; Senator Kevin Sullivan, President Pro Tempore of the Senate; Representative Moira Lyons, Speaker of the House; Senator Judith Freedman, Deputy Senate Republican Leader; Senator Martin Looney, Senate Majority Leader; and Representative Lenny Winkler, Assistant House Minority Leader.

House Speaker Moira Lyons said, “The Permanent Commission on the Status of Women’s ‘Making Women Visible Day’ provides us with a valuable forum to support each other and listen and learn how we can improve the status of women in Connecticut.  One woman’s success is a victory for all women.  We may not be able to guarantee success, but we can provide women with the opportunity to achieve success.”           

Making Women Visible Day also included three panel discussions: 

Nourishing Good Health: Eating Disorders and Nutrition Policy, was co-sponsored the PCSW and CT Women’s Health Campaign to raise awareness about the prevalence and causes of eating disorders, obesity and other medical conditions related to diet, and the need for public policies that promote good nutrition in our schools.  Speakers included Representative Mary Mushinsky, Dr Marlene Schwartz, Dr Margo Maine, and Sharon Mierzwa. 

Gender Appropriate Policies for Incarcerated Women focused on the need for gender-appropriate services, including transitional services for female offenders and identifying strengths and weaknesses in our current criminal justice system.  Speakers included Representative William Dyson, Commissioner of Correction Theresa Lantz, Elaine Cohen, Maureen Knight-Price, and Cinda Cash.

Workers’ Compensation, Unemployment Insurance and Women Business Owners addressed the problems of protecting workers’ rights and meeting the challenges of running a business. A panel of female entrepreneurs and workers’ advocates discussed strategies to find the right balance and identify common interests. Panelists included Rep Diana Urban, Lori Pelletier, M. Linda Phillips, Lesley Mills, and Renae Reese.

The PCSW was established by the Connecticut General Assembly in 1973.  The commission studies all matters concerning women, informs leaders about the nature and scope of discrimination, serves as a liaison between government and private interest groups concerned with services for women, promotes consideration of women for governmental positions and works with state agencies to access programs and practices as they affect women.   The Connecticut Women’s Agenda comprised of approximately 25 organizations was initiated by the PCSW to provide an opportunity for groups that work on women’s issues to share information and ideas.  The Connecticut Women’s Health Campaign is a coalition of organizations working for the health and well-being of women in Connecticut. 

For more information regarding the day’s activities, contact the PCSW at 860-240-8300