NWC News Desk

May 22 Women's Roundtable looks at Equality Initiatives

Posted May 7, 2008
By

P O W E L L, W y o. - Sarah Mikesell Growney of Equality Initatives (EI) will talk about the statewide EI program Thursday, May 22, at the Worland Women's Business Roundtable.

The roundtable is held each month at the Northwest College Worland Center, located in the Worland Community Center Complex. The one-hour program begins at noon with 15-minute networking opportunities before and after. Lunch is included in the free admission.

EI is a statewide awareness campaign with the long-term goal of empowering decision makers and other Wyomingites with the knowledge and tools needed to improve women's lives in Wyoming. Operating under the belief that raising awareness is the first step toward long-term change, EI investigates and educates about the status of Wyoming's women. It's hoped this information will ultimately help improve these women's access to basic opportunities, help them achieve personal dignity and self-sufficiency, and enhance their overall well-being.

Growney, the EI program director, will share key, and perhaps, unknown data collected through IE research about girls and women in Wyoming. She'll address statistics about the gender wage gap, substance abuse, mental health, healthcare, political representation, childcare, and education and then contrast that with the misperceptions about women's lives in Wyoming.

Growney will ask for input from the Worland community on effective messages for Worland and Wyoming. She'll share EI's concept of collaborative community processes and discuss tools for effective messaging that can help women's issues in Wyoming gain necessary recognition. She would like to get insight from participants about issues affecting Washakie County and surrounding communities which impact women's lives. Her program looks at the challenges facing the state's women but also highlights the successes of that same demographic.

Reservations must be submitted by Wednesday, May 21. Click here with questions and to register, or call (800) 560-4692, ext. 6062. This Equality Initiatives program is sponsored by Big West Autoplex through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration and Northwest College Center for Training and Development.