Go Lead Idaho

Motivating women to lead and demonstrating why it matters

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Gaps & Chasms – The Situation in Idaho

In the weeks since Ready to Lead, we’ve seen stark reminders of the void that exists for women in leadership in our state. In one column, the Idaho Statesman highlighted the ‘gender chasm’ in the candidates for Idaho Legislature. This past weekend, Dan Popkey utilized public salary records to showcase the pay gap among Idaho’s senior leadership.

We appreciate the attention the media is paying to these important issues. And, we hope that Go Lead Idaho’s efforts will help do something about it.

In Gov. Butch Otter’s Cabinet, women make less money than men

By DAN POPKEY — dpopkey@idahostatesman.com

Idaho Agriculture Director Celia Gould has been with Gov. Butch Otter from the first day of his administration in 2007, having been a leading figure in his campaign and a respected former legislator.

She is the highest-paid of the women in Otter’s Cabinet but ranks just 16th among all top full-time officials.

The median salary for 11 women in the Cabinet is $85,446; the median for the 33 men is $103,002.

“We really do have a glass ceiling in Idaho,” said Rep. Wendy Jaquet of Ketchum, the senior Democrat in the Legislature and a member of the budget committee.

Read the Full Story

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BSU’s Moncrief: ‘Gender chasm’ exists between Dems and GOP candidates for Idaho Legislature

Submitted by Dan Popkey on Mon, 03/12/2012

Poring over thelist of candidates  for the Idaho Legislature, Boise State political scientist  Gary Moncrief finds a gender gap far more pronounced than the roughly 7 percent historical difference between how women and men typically vote for president.

“A Democratic candidate is three times more likely to be a woman than is a Republican candidate,” writes Moncrief in a weekend email. “In Idaho, it isn’t a gender gap; it’s a gender chasm.”

 

 

 

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March Newsletter: Leading Forward

“As long as women remain a vocal minority in corporate boardrooms, on TV talk shows, and in the halls of Congress, we pay the price of being voiceless. The world needs well-spoken women to state opinions in every venue from PTA meetings to presidential debates. It is not that a woman’s perspective is better. What matters is that it is different.” – Christine Jahnke

Are you ready to make your voice heard?

From the overwhelming response we’ve received after Ready to Lead – it sounds like you are! One week later, we hope you still feel the enthusiasm, empowerment, connectedness and hope that Ready to Lead brought to each of us.

The question now is…what will we do with that energy?

  • Engage: There are several ways to keep engaged with Go Lead Idaho: join our LinkedIn group; be afan on Facebook; follow our Twitter feed; subscribe to our newsletter (which most of you have!); sign up for our blog.
  • Network: Many attendees have asked us to share the list of those who participated in Ready to Lead. We plan to distribute names and organization affiliation to attendees soon. If you would like to opt out, please respond back to this email by March 16. We also plan to hold a Go Lead Idaho social in the near future – stay tuned for details!
  • Lead: Have you filed to run for office? Are you considering running in the future? Have you been appointed to a commission or board? Would you like to be?  If you’ve said yes to any of the above – let us know! We’re happy to share your good news on our blog. Also, several groups have approached us wanting to connect with potential appointees and leaders. We are hoping to act as a conduit to share names with these groups and want to know your interest by dropping us an email (jessicaflynn@redskypr.com)
  • Learn: There are resources and tools that can help all of us with our individual leadership goals. By sharing that information we can all grow together. Please send along any information, events, research that fits the Go Lead Idaho mission so we can post and share it. Or – post it on our LinkedIn group or Facebook page yourself! (Case in point: check out this recent McKinsey Report: Women Matter, making the case for increasing women in senior management roles in the private sector.)
  • Join: Do you want to help to take Go Lead Idaho forward? Let us know if you’d like to be involved in any aspect of organizing and running Go Lead Idaho. We are powered by the passion of our volunteers!
  • Feedback: We also would appreciate your feedback on Ready to Lead. What did you like or not like? What could have been done better or differently?

The Go Lead Idaho executive committee is gathering in the next week to go over lessons learned and discuss steps forward. We hope you will share your thoughts with us and remain engaged. Only through collaboration can we ensure that our voice is heard.

Let’s lead forward!

 

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Opportunity to Lead: Apply for Leadership Boise

Applications are open for Leadership Boise 2012.  The purpose of Leadership Boise is to identify new and potential leaders and to offer a comprehensive program that will:

 Enhance and develop knowledge and understanding of our community, its complexities and its potential.
 Motivate and encourage participants to assume leadership roles in the community.
 Provide an opportunity for participants to meet and exchange ideas with each other and with current community leaders.

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News Release: Join Women on the Bridge March 8 to Show Your Support

Boise, ID – Annually on March 8, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and to celebrate their achievements in honor of International Women’s Day (IWD). A global array of local activities brings together women from all around the world and Boise, ID is joining the celebration.

This year, thousands of people will stand together to show that they are with the women of Afghanistan, Iraq, Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan and other war-torn countries. Boise-area residents can show their support by standing together on the 8th Street Pedestrian Bridge, adjacent to the Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial at 5:30pm. A moment of silence will be observed to stand in honor of women—to acknowledge the courage, the sacrifices, the strength and the power of women worldwide.

Immediately following the bridge event refreshments will be served in the Boise Public Library auditorium where non-profit organizations will be on hand to share information about local volunteer opportunities available to help make a difference in the lives of the women of the Treasure Valley and beyond.

“Join Women on the Bridge” will be the culminating event of a week-long celebration. The festivities begin on “First Thursday,” March 1, with the Downtown Boise Association’s (DBA) International Women’s Day event from 5p-8p. The DBA, in cooperation with a planning committee of six Boise non- profit organizations, all of which support women and girls through fund-raising, awareness and scholarship activities, has planned a fun and informational evening of wine tastings, a passport activity with door prizes, and an opportunity for locals to learn more about the non-profits in our area who provide critical services to women, children and families in Idaho and beyond. For more information on the IWD First Thursday event, visit www.facebook.com/BoiseIWD.

History of Join Women on the Bridge
Now in its third year, the “Join me on the Bridge” campaign started in 2010 when women from Congo and Rwanda joined together on the bridge connecting their two countries, showing that they could build the bridges of peace and hope for the future. This action sparked a massive global movement, and last year they were joined by thousands of people on hundreds of bridges worldwide. The international campaign is hosted by womenforwomen.org.

History of IWD
International Women’s Day (IWD) has been observed since in the early 1900’s. IWD is now an official holiday in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar (for women only), Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal (for women only), Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zambia. The tradition sees men honoring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc. with flowers and small gifts. In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother’s Day where children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers.

About Full Circle Exchange
Full Circle Exchange (FCE) is an Idaho non-profit and social enterprise dedicated to empowering women and whole communities to rise above poverty. FCE provides training, resources, and brings to the mass marketplace woman-artisan produced, socially conscious consumer goods. By focusing on poverty reduction through job creation, improved incomes, access to global markets, education and job training, FCE is reducing the number of women living in poverty–thereby improving the lives of women, children, families, and entire communities.

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Ready2Lead: Call to Action

Debbie Walsh from the Center for American Women & Politics closed out the day with a Call to Action and showcasing the 2012 Project.

Mission The 2012 Project is a national, non-partisan campaign of the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) to increase the number of women in Congress and state legislatures by taking advantage of the once-in-a-decade opportunities of 2012.

Strategy

The 2012 Project relies on a three-pronged strategy:

  • Direct outreach to executive-level, accomplished women in the private and public sectors who have not previously considered running for office. Outreach to women of color is a priority.
  • Mobilization of existing state-based coalitions that will carry out the mission of The 2012 Project in locations where opportunities for women to run are greatest.
  • Launch of a large-scale public education campaign to raise awareness about the lack of women in elected office and the unique opportunities of the 2012 election.

 

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