March Founder’s Message

by Pauline Field

March is Women’s History Month and there is much to celebrate – and still much work to be done. Around the world we see progress: Loujain al-Hathloul was freed from prison in Saudi Arabia after being held for 1001 days because of her activism to help women get the right to drive. The French nun, Sister Nathalie Becquart was appointed an undersecretary to the Vatican’s Synod of Bishops, a first step in breaking the ceiling in the Catholic hierarchy.

Here in the U.S. President Biden has an “aggressive and comprehensive plan to further women’s economic and physical security and ensure that women can fully exercise their civil rights.”
Maternal mortality. The number of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. is over two times that of other wealthy nations, according to the Commonwealth Fund—and this rate continues to rise. This issue disproportionately impacts people of color: Black women and pregnant people die at rates three to four times higher than their White counterparts, and they experience 2.3 times the infant mortality rate compared to their White counterparts; Native people are more than twice as likely to die from pregnancy; and Hispanic people aren’t far behind.
Economic Security. The majority of the lost jobs during the pandemic were women’s. The Women’s Law Center reports that in December alone, 100 percent of the jobs lost were women’s jobs, with women losing 156,000 jobs and men gaining 16,000.

Vice President Kamala Harris has smashed an important glass ceiling, but there are still so many more. There is work to be done.

Here at 50/50 Leadership we are empowering more women each month to be financially independent through our Money 101 workshops, and the following support through group calls and one-on-one mentoring.

Our volunteers are gaining confidence, learning new skills, making new connections and new friends, and gaining leadership experience.

Our monthly Roundtable discussions focus on a topic each month and March is on Breaking Glass Ceilings: Stories from Female Trail Blazers. Sarah Steele will engage in an open discussion of women that have reached for success and the obstacles they faced on their path. You will be encouraged to share your journeys and connect with one another during this celebration of women’s history and resilience. I hope you will join us for what is sure to be a lively discussion. Claim Your Seat Today