March 15th marks the third anniversary since Governor Inslee signed HB 2759, the bill that created our Women’s Commission.

The Commission was created to address issues relevant to the problems and needs of women, such as domestic violence, childcare and support, sexual discrimination and harassment in the workplace, equal compensation and job pathways in employment, and the specific needs of women of color.

In her remarks on the Washington State Women's Commission with the Washington State Wire from 2018, Representative Mary Dye said: 

“Even after all of the work that’s been done on behalf of women and women’s issues, there’s still some underrepresentation in government and in business and the commission’s role is to deal with some of those issues. [Another goal is] to assure that women are being treated fairly in the work place and that they have access to the services that are available for them. 

 

We want to assist women, especially in populations that are particularly affected – women of color or women under socioeconomic factors that would create barriers for them – to be successful in the work place or in an elected office. So, it’s just advocating for the removal of legal or social barriers that have kept women less represented." 

Here at the Washington State Women’s Commission, the work to remove legal and social barriers at the governmental and legislative levels is ongoing. We take the time today to celebrate three years of bringing leaders and experts across the state of Washington to inform more equitable representation and policy design.