U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) convened a hearing in Tucson, Arizona, on Friday that explored barriers faced by women in the workforce.
McSally launched the Working Group on Women in the 21st Century Workforce in July, and Friday’s hearing was the working group’s second hearing exploring issues related to women in the workforce.
“(Friday’s) hearing is part of long-term effort to take a serious look at the issues holding women back and find solutions,” McSally, the chairwoman of the working group, said. “Being able to contribute to their communities, meeting the needs of their families, having the opportunity to pursue their dreams – these are issues that actually matter to women, and I’m going to continue to work to help empower women and girls to achieve their full potential.”
Witnesses testified during the hearing about challenges that women face in accessing childcare, as well as housing needs, gender discrimination, gender perception and a lack of flexibility.
“Women occupy and will continue to occupy half of the formal workforce and take on at least half, if not more, of the unpaid work in the home,” T. VanHook, the CEO at Habitat for Humanity Tucson, said. “They are contributing to the national economy while serving as the primary caregivers of their families, in many cases sandwiched between generations, running between jobs, juggling responsibilities and balancing family budgets on a shoestring.”
Tanya Gustavsson, an administrative assistant at Diamond Ventures and a former federal corrections officer, said that she was told that women weren’t allowed to be military police when she joined the military.
“At that time you were told what to do,” Gustavsson said. “You did not speak as a woman. And unfortunately that is still going on today.”
Ashley Carter, the grassroots director of the Independent Women’s Forum, said that progress has been remarkable in some areas in recent decades — yet there remains a “complicated picture” for many women in the workforce today.
“Statistics show that millions of women cannot find jobs or are working part-time when they would prefer full-time,” Carter said. “Others are working full-time, but wish they could afford to stay home with their young children, scale back, or at least have more flexibility than their current job provides.”