Speaker of the House, Mitzi Johnson has appointed Ashley Messier of Jericho to serve a four-year term on the Vermont Commission on Women (VCW), the state’s non-partisan commission working to advance rights and opportunities for women and girls.
The Senate Committee on Committees has appointed Sarah Mell of Winooski to serve on the Vermont Commission on Women (VCW), the state’s non-partisan commission working to advance rights and opportunities for women and girls.
As a result of the federal CARES act, the State of Vermont has announced new Economic Recovery Grants for Vermont businesses, which includes a set-aside of $2.5 million for women-owned businesses and $2.5 million for minority-owned businesses with zero - five employees.
The state’s independent non-partisan Vermont Commission on Women just released a new data dashboard report focusing on the ways the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately and uniquely impacted women.
Report link: COVID-19 Crisis and Vermont Women
In May 2020, the US Department of Education, headed by Secretary Betsy Devos, announced new regulations to Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, governing how educational institutions, including colleges and universities, respond to allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.
Cary Brown, executive director of the Vermont Commission on Women, said the bill would not only benefit women candidates who historically have had to bear the brunt of child-rearing responsibilities.
“That is one of the teeny little tiny steps we can take to shift the culture a little bit,” Brown said, referring to the adoption of the bill. “So the expectation is that parents are equally taking care of children and it’s not falling disproportionately on women.”
This conversation highlights COVID-19 response inspired policy changes to reduce income inequality with Rep. Emilie Kornheiser and Cary Brown of the Vermont Commission on Women and UVM Prof. Stephanie Seguino on WVEW’s Montpelier Happy Hour with Olga Peters.
This VtDigger piece by Elizabeth Gribkoff looks at the impact for women owned business, workers on the frontline, and in some of the sectors hardest hit by the COVID-19.
VCW’s Cary Brown is quoted: “We know where women are starting, which is that more of them are concentrated in low wage jobs, more of them are tipped workers.”
As Vermont moves forward with reimagining the future of its educational system, now is the time to center the principles of equity and access at the very core of that process. The VSC is already providing significant access to education and training for a wide range of fields, including high-wage, high-demand jobs that the Vermont economy needs. Consistently, the VSC has shown impressive innovation and creativity in broadening its reach around the state through partnerships, distance learning, and satellite locations.
The second of several topical resource guides for dealing with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Find all of our COVID-19 resources at http://women.vermont.gov/covid19.
Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD)’s COVID-19 resource page for business
ACCD hotline to report impacts and be directed to resources: (802) 461-5143, Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
