~ More on Equality Day celebration Monday, Aug 24 in OKC

WOMEN STILL FACE CHALLENGES IN BUSINESS,
POLITICS 90 YEARS AFTER 19TH AMENDMENT

Oklahoma women leaders share their experiences, reflect on
equality at the Women’s Equality Day Celebration

Oklahoma City, Okla. (August 18, 2009) – Women’s equality has come a long way, but strides still need to be made, according to some of Oklahoma’s leading women in business and politics. With the anniversary of the 19th amendment, adopted on Aug. 26, 1920 providing women with the right to vote, some of Oklahoma’s leading women are reflecting on their personal journeys and on those of the next generation of women at the YWCA’s Women’s Equality Day Celebration on Aug. 24 at the Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library.

Featured panelists include Lieutenant Governor Jari Askins, Assistant Attorney General Joel-lyn McCormick, Claudia San Pedro, treasurer and vice president of investor relations at Sonic Corporation, and Jill Irvine, director of women’s and gender studies at the University of Oklahoma, Cheryl Borelli, Vice President of BancFirst and YWCA Board Chair and Martha Burger, Senior Vice President of Human & Corporate Resources for Chesapeake Energy Corporation.

The panel of local women leaders will discuss the status of the women’s movement in our community and address issues such as balancing work and family, discrimination in the work force and how women can support each other.

“Women still face challenges in some fields,” said Janet L. Peery, the CEO of the YWCA Oklahoma City, the only shelter for battered women and children in Oklahoma County. “We still see some of the ‘Good ol’ Boys Club’ in business and politics today. The fact that women are leading in those arenas speaks volumes about their intelligence, fearlessness and tenacity.”

Irvine knows first hand that the women’s movement still thrives in Oklahoma. Having taught on the issues facing women in politics and religion, she sees the future of the movement in the faces of her students every day.

“The issue of women’s equality did not end when suffragettes won women the right to vote in 1920,” Irvine said. “Though a monumental achievement, it was just one step in the women’s movement that has come a long way since the ‘votes for women’ era.”

Askins knows the struggles that women can face in the political world, especially in Oklahoma which ranks 49th in the nation for women serving on the state legislature. Askins has served in all three branches of government in Oklahoma, experience that has given her a unique perspective as a woman in politics.

Women in business also face unique challenges. San Pedro is no stranger to glass ceilings in the business world. She herself broke through several when she served in 2005 as the first female and first Hispanic to serve as Director of State Finance for Oklahoma.

Activism today may not be as obvious as taking up a picket sign or asking for the right to vote, but today’s “suffragettes” can be found climbing the corporate ladder, pursuing higher education or reaching out to help other women through volunteerism and advocacy.

The Women’s Equality Day Celebration is from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 24 at the Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library. The panel discussion will be moderated by Peery of the YWCA Oklahoma City. Questions from the audience will round out the hour-long panel discussion, followed by a reception and community fair of local women’s organizations, clubs and businesses. Tickets and more information are available at www.ywca.org/womensequalityday.

All proceeds benefit the YWCA, the only shelter for battered women and children in Oklahoma County.

Source. YWCA Oklahoma City