Rep. Livingstone To Participate as a Speaker at Gender Equity Forum on March 17, 2015
The Boston Ward 5 Democratic Committee is hosting a public forum on Gender Equity on March 17th at 7 PM during Women's History Month, which will include Rep. Livingstone as a panelist.
From the Committee:To "Promote gender equality and empower women" is one of the eight United Nations Millennium Goals. And should be. Seventy percent of those living in extreme poverty worldwide are women and girls.In the United States, the picture looks brighter. According to the Pew Research Center, the majority of Americans think "women are every bit as capable of being good .. leaders as men" and are "indistinguishable from men on key .. traits such as intelligence and capacity for innovation." But The Economist reports that while "Congress [now] includes a record number of women (104)" and "26 women now lead .. Fortune 500 companies", in percentage terms they are only 14% and 5%, respectively. And The New York Times, reporting on the Republican fight against the Paycheck Fairness Act, cited that nationwide in 2012, "women earn 77 cents on average for every $1 earned by men", with Massachusetts ranking 19th.But while the aspects of the issue of gender equity cited above are enormous, there are many more, both locally and globally. Come prepared.Speakers will include:
- Jesse Mermell, the new Executive Director of the Alliance for Business Leadership;
- State Representative Jay Livingstone, sponsor with Senator Pat Jehlen of SD 1423/HD 2802, An Act to Establish Pay Equity; and
- Megan Costello, Executive Director of the new Boston Office of Women's Advancement.
Also invited: Ayanna Pressley, Boston At-Large City Councilor and winner of Emily's List's 2015 Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award.The meeting will be held at the Community Church of Boston, 565 Boylston Street in Copley Square.Regular Committee business will also be conducted.