Equal Pay for Equal Work Task Force

03/26/2021

Please join the Interagency Committee for Change by Women (ICCW) for the final Women’s History Month lunch-and-learn event on Wednesday, March 31, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Misty Lee Kuhl, Director, Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs, will close out Women’s History Month with a presentation on American Indian Women.

- Registration is not required.
- See Zoom information below.
- Please pass along.

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://mt-gov.zoom.us/j/94118838504?pwd=b3c0N2NVL2VURUNncjlXN01XQ2gwZz09

Meeting ID: 941 1883 8504
Password: 20647

Dial by Telephone

+1 646 558 8656 or +1 406 444 9999

Meeting ID: 941 1883 8504
Password: 206470

01/09/2021

"70 percent of Montana households with kids under 18 have a working mom and rely on that woman for income. So it really does affect all of our Montana communities."

01/04/2021

The Equal Pay for Equal Work Task Force's Report showcases the effort to eliminate the gender wage gap in Montana and includes recommendations on actions individuals, communities, and elected officials can take to continue narrowing in the gap.

Find the full report here:

https://equalpay.mt.gov/Portals/203/shared/docs/FinalReport.pdf

11/12/2020

Tune in TODAY for the Family Forward Virtual Launch!

to Five Montana

11/06/2020

The Harvard Business Review has determined that by addressing four key biases and barriers—employers can prevent the careers your women employees from becoming collateral damage during this crisis, and set your organization up to leverage their capabilities today and in the future.

And what leaders can do to prevent it.

10/26/2020

As owner of Canty Boots MT in the small town of Harrison, Butte native Edmundson was awarded Woman-owned Small Business of the Year in Montana by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Good work Nikki!

NewsLocal News Actions Facebook Tweet Email Butte native's business wins national award for woman-owned small business Canty Boots is based in Harrison, MT By: John Emeigh Posted at 6:52 AM, Oct 22, 2020 and last updated 2020-10-25 11:06:12-04 HARRISON - Nikki Edmundson sure knows how to make a mark...

10/22/2020

Have you heard of The Paradigm for Parity?

It is coalition is comprised of business leaders, board members and academics committed to addressing the corporate leadership gender gap.

Find their research based 5 Point Action Plan here—

Minimize or Eliminate Unconscious Bias. Initiate unconscious bias training. Engage women and men at all levels, starting with the CEO and senior leadership. Ensure that your company leaders comprehend, own and address the conscious and unconscious biases that prevent women from succeeding.

10/19/2020

To inspire you on this Monday morning, here is a quick clip from Tamara Mellon on female led business values::

"A lot of shoes are designed for shelf appeal, without actually knowing how women feel in them," says Jimmy Choo co-founder Tamara Mellon.

10/16/2020

𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 -𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞𝐧 - 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔.𝐒. 𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡.

About 617,000 women left the workforce in September, compared with only 78,000 men, with half of the women who dropped out being in the prime working age of 35-44.
Women have been hit harder by this recession than in previous downturns. Industries that employ lots of women, such as hospitality and leisure, are faring worse during the pandemic. Women are also more likely to take on the care responsibilities in the home, which during a time of homeschooling and home caring can make it hard for many to continue their professional careers. Last month's massive workforce dropout rate for women is at least partially due to the lack of childcare options, with child daycare services employment still down nearly 18% in September from its pre-pandemic level.

𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤.

Hundreds of thousands of women — nearly eight times more than the number of men — dropped out of the US labor force last month, as the pandemic continues to exacerbate inequalities in America's economy.

10/15/2020

Last Chance to Respond to the 2020 Census and Make it Count for Montana

MONTANA – The Montana Department of Commerce and the State Complete Count Committee are urging every Montanan to respond to the 2020 Census before the end of the day on Thursday, October 15.

Action from the Supreme Court yesterday allowed the U.S. Census Bureau to suspend its 2020 Census counting operations before October 31. The U.S. Census Bureau announced last night it will end door-to-door counting operations by the end of the day on Thursday, October 15, and also cut off the option for people to self-respond online and by phone.

Responding to the unprecedented impacts of COVID-19 this spring, the U.S. Census Bureau set October 31 as the deadline for the 2020 Census. The Bureau later reversed course and cut short the deadline, spurring two months of court battles to extend the count.

“The 2020 Census has been thrown into chaos by a global pandemic and near-constant operating changes from the federal government,” said Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney, who is the chairman of the Montana Complete Count Committee. “Unfortunately, what this means for Montana is that we’re looking at an undercount, putting at risk our state’s fair share of federal funding for the next decade and accurate representation of Montanans in every level of government. This appears to be it – the last chance to make it count for Montana in the 2020 Census, so it’s critical to respond today if you haven’t already.”

To date, 60.3 percent of Montana households have self-responded to the Census, which is below the national average of 66.8 percent, and puts Montana among the bottom of states in self-responding to the Census.

The Census count is used to determine the amount of federal funding distributed to the state – overall, more than $2 billion from more than 300 federal programs is allocated back to Montana based on Census information. Census data is also used to shape local voting and school districts and will determine whether Montana will regain a second seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Montanans who have not yet done so should respond to the 2020 Census now at MY2020CENSUS.GOV or by calling 1-844-330-2020.

10/13/2020

Here is some inspiration from famous leading ladies to remind you why it is so important to negotiate for a fair wage--

Advice from Michelle Obama, Meryl Streep, Ellen Pompeo, and more.