Sen. Lisa Wellman, D-Mercer Island, has been appointed to the newly established Washington State Women’s Commission.
Created with the passage of House Bill 2759 during the 2018 legislative session, the commission will focus on solutions to address inequality for women in the workplace and in society overall.
“It’s a true honor to be selected to work with my colleagues on such important challenges. Women are still less likely to be elected to public office or serve in corporate and non-profit leadership positions,” said Wellman, who sponsored companion legislation in the Senate. “Whether it’s pay inequity or sexual harassment, women still face unfair obstacles in the workplace. I look forward to working with the Women’s Commission to break down these barriers.”
The Women’s Commission is responsible for:
- Reviewing best practices for sexual harassment policies and training, and providing recommendations to state agencies;
- Identifying and defining specific needs of women of color;
- Consulting with state agencies regarding the effect of agency policies, rules and practices on the unique problems and needs of women;
- Staffing the Interagency Committee for State Employed Women;
- Preparing for a 2020 statewide commemoration of women’s suffrage;
- Holding public hearings to gather input related to the unique problems and needs of women;
- Advocating for the removal of legal and social barriers for women; and
- Reviewing and recommending strategies to increase the number of women serving on for-profit boards.
The commission will also make regular recommendations to the Legislature and to the governor. It will consist of 13 members: four state lawmakers (one from each caucus) and nine members appointed by the governor to provide a balanced and diverse distribution of ethnic, geographic, gender, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status and occupational representation.
The new commission is expected to have official meetings on the calendar by July 1. More information, can be found at https://www.governor.wa.gov/
