Going beyond girl power

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

By Sabra Ayres

They call this the Equality state because we were the first in the nation to count a woman’s vote.

And in many ways, Wyoming women are unlike any other in the country.
We are mothers and wives and partners to those who admire us for our strengths in the harsh environment of Wyoming’s long winters in the mountains and wind-whipped days on the open plains. We are ranchers and tribal leaders. We work in the gas fields. We drive our kids to work in trucks. We can ski harder and faster than most of the boys who grew up pulling our pigtails.

Though there is lots of equality in the state’s work options, Wyoming women still are falling behind. According to a study published by the Equality State Policy Center entitled “The State of Working Wyoming,” in 2007, women in the state’s workforce made just 63 percent of what a Wyoming man makes. That’s the worst gender-based wage gap in the nation, according to the study.

Making matters worse, almost 60 percent of Wyoming’s families living in poverty are headed by single mothers, according to a 2006 American Community Survey.
The overall picture, some experts say, puts the future of Wyoming’s communities in jeopardy.

Over the weekend, a group of more than 50 women gathered in Jackson to brainstorm about sustainability, here in Wyoming and beyond.

What is it about a group of women coming together to try and make the world a better place? Why weren’t men included? These are the questions I wondered as I sat and listened to the diverse group of mothers, grandmothers and daughters. Despite what the title of the conference might imply, “Women’s Conference on Sustainability,” it wasn’t a male-bashing fest. In fact, guys, you rarely came up.

What did come up was the safe atmosphere that participants said they felt among the all-female crowd - safety to say exactly what you think, feel and know to be true to a listening group of like-minded people. I must emphasis the word ‘listening.’

With so many opportunities for equality between the sexes in Wyoming, why do women so often lack the self confidence to go out and save the world, when, after all, we are often the ones bearing the brunt of poverty, famine and disease around the globe? Women are praised for their listening skills and for their ability to work collaboratively.
So what’s the problem?

“Women’s qualities are what are going to save the world, but these qualities are not being rewarded,” Story Resor, a Jackson participant, said. An all-women’s forum is a place to build the confidence to go out and use those qualities, she added. “That’s why we need a women’s conference.”

Personally, I don’t believe all men are opposed to working and listening to us. I have found many men to be pragmatic problem solvers. I don’t think we are speaking up and telling them in enough voices that we just might have some very viable answers.
Because, after all, we are part of the whole. Or, as Wyoming First Lady Nancy Freudenthal said: “Our constitution starts ‘We the people,’ not ‘We the 57-year-old-white guys.”

So, here’s to any sort of conference that provides a venue for quieted voices to practice speaking loudly.
PERMALINK:
Going beyond girl power | Planet JH News Article: Editorial

Reader Comments

RE: "women in the state’s workforce made just 63 percent of what a Wyoming man makes...." Women can make the same money as men if they take the same jobs men take. Since it is illegal to discriminate based upon gender when it comes to pay (all other qualities being equal), women have a fair playing field. It's up to women to take action if they feel they are being shortchanged. They can learn new trades or file suit against those they feel have done them harm. I don't buy into the idea that companies are out to discriminate against women. Women make up the majority of high school graduates and college graduates. If anyone is being shortchanged, it boys and their future. By having womens-only events, services, and associations, women are admitting that they are unable to make a go of it in a "man's world" on their own. Men don't have a Men's Conference on Sustainability. Sounds like too much talk and too little action on the part of females when they blame men for their problems (who else do they blame?). Females have all the skills necessary for success in this world. They don't need crutches to make a go of it nor do they need to come up with silly excuses for the inability of some females to smart career choices.
eyeson jackson