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Governor Ned Lamont

03/03/2020

Governor Lamont and Lt. Governor Bysiewicz Host Women and Girls Day at the State Capitol on March 6

Girls and Women Across the State Invited to Celebrate, Connect, and Be Inspired

Women and Girls Day

(HARTFORD, CT) – In celebration of Women’s History Month, the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage, and the one-year anniversary of the launch of the Governor’s Council on Women and Girls, Governor Ned Lamont and Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz will be hosting Women and Girls Day at the Connecticut State Capitol on March 6, 2020.

The day-long series of free events will include a women in leadership panel discussion moderated by Office of Policy and Management Secretary Melissa McCaw; a career fair; a health and safety fair; programming by Girls With Impact and the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame; and several featured guests. House Minority Leader Themis Klarides will also lead a voting simulation in the Hall of the House of Representatives, where attendees will “vote” on the 1920 legislation known as House Bill 8, An Act Concerning Extending Suffrage to Women.

Hundreds of high school girls and women from across Connecticut are anticipated to participate. Anyone interested in attending should register by sending an email to WAG2020@ct.gov.

The day’s activities are being organized by the Governor’s Council on Women and Girls in collaboration with the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors Equity and Opportunity and the Connecticut Women’s Suffrage Commission.

“Women deserve greater representation in nearly every segment of our society, and we need to do more outreach in our communities and our schools to let young girls know that they can aspire to do anything,” Governor Lamont said. “Here in Connecticut, I am proud that we have many strong, powerful women who have made our state what it is and continue to improve it for the better. Women and Girls Day is another way that we are seeking to ensure that state government makes good on its commitment to women and girls.”

Lt. Governor Bysiewicz serves as chair of the Governor’s Council on Women and Girls, and Secretary McCaw serves as vice chair.

“Connecticut has continued to make significant strides in the fight for women’s equality and we want to celebrate those achievements while also holding meaningful discussions how we can remove barriers that keep women and girls from reaching equal economic success, equal representation in government, and equal opportunities in leadership,” Lt. Governor Bysiewicz said. “The programs developed for Women and Girls Day at the State Capitol were created to inspire each of us to reflect on our successes as womankind, especially within the hundred years since the suffrage movement, and emphasize the importance of using our collective voices to make Connecticut a place where women and girls are treated equally in all aspects of their lives.”

“In the century that has passed since women earned the right to vote, we have been effective in forcing change, enhancing opportunity, and elevating new voices,” Secretary McCaw said. “But there is still much more for us to do. We are vastly underrepresented in leadership positions in the business world, government, and nonprofits. That’s why I am proud to lead a discussion on leadership, so we can exchange ideas and find new paths to success for ourselves and the generations to follow. One of my favorite proverbs states, in part, that when you educate a woman, you educate a nation. It is my goal to do just that.”

The day’s activities are as follows:

Schedule

  • 8:30 a.m.: Check in (Legislative Office Building, 2nd floor atrium)
  • 9:00 a.m.: Welcome and opening remarks (LOB, Room 2C)
  • 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.: Hamden Economic Development Corporation Housing and Community Development Leadership Institute [Adult attendees] (State Capitol, Room 310)
  • 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.: Career Fair and Health and Safety Fair (State Capitol, 1st floor atrium)
  • 9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.: Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame suffragists presentation/voting simulation [High school attendees] (State Capitol, Hall of the House)
  • 11:15 a.m.: Press conference (State Capitol, 1st floor north lobby)
  • 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Girls with Impact Program [High school attendees] (State Capitol, Hall of the House)
  • 12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.: Women’s Leadership Panel Luncheon [Adult attendees] (State Capitol, Old Judiciary Room)
  • 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.: Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame suffragists presentation/voting simulation/Holberton School presentation on women in tech [Adult attendees] (State Capitol, Hall of the House)

Program descriptions

  • Career Fair: Learn about dozens of careers and meet with recruiters from a variety of professional fields where woman are traditionally underrepresented, including actuarial science, environment, manufacturing, aviation, law, engineering, computer science, banking, biomedical and research, medical fields, construction, state police and military, agriculture, and economics.
  • Health and Safety Fair: Nearly 30 organizations will provide information about an array of critical services for women and girls including reproductive health, breast and cervical cancer, nutrition and dietetics, trauma, behavioral and mental health services, safe driving and passenger safety, fitness, and self-defense.
  • Girls with Impact Program [High school attendees]: The “Impact Your World” workshop lead by Jennifer Openshaw teaches extraordinary girls lessons in entrepreneurship, having a vision for your venture, and how to turn passion into impact. Girls will learn how to differentiate themselves in order to start their own successful business, nonprofit, or community event.
  • Women’s Leadership Panel Luncheon [Adult attendees]: Secretary McCaw will moderate a women’s leadership panel luncheon featuring women leaders in corporate, government, educational, and non-profit sectors, including:
    • Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz
    • Dr. Elsa Núñez, President of Eastern Connecticut State University
    • Fran Pastore, CEO and Founder of the Women’s Business Development Council
    • Valerie Palmieri, President and CEO of Vermillion, Inc.
  • Voting Simulation: Representative Klarides will lead a voting simulation in the Hall of the House, where women and girls will have the opportunity to “vote” on 1920’s House Bill 8, An Act Concerning Extending Suffrage to Women.
  • Connecticut Suffragists Presentation by the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame: Women’s suffrage was a defining moment in American history. The fight for women’s right to vote was long and took many twists and turns. In this talk led by Liz Krebs and Sarah Lubarksy, attendees will learn about the Connecticut suffragists who fought on a local, state, and national level.
  • Holberton School Presentation on Women in Tech: Nadine Krause, Director of Holberton School New Haven, will discuss The Workforce of the Future: Why We need More Women in Tech and the importance of women representation in tech fields. Holberton is a software engineering school founded in Silicon Valley to address a gap in the education system for aspiring software engineers.

Anyone interested in attending Women and Girls Day activities should register by sending an email to WAG2020@ct.gov.

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