#1 APRIL 2 EQUAL PAY DAY ‘unhappy hour’ DISCOUNT

The Task Force partnered with 11 breweries across the state to offer women customers a 27% discount in recognition of the 27% wage gap. After the Governor’s press conference, the grand finale event was held at Snow Hop Brewery which is woman owned and led by a head female brewer. The series of events created a statewide conversation and honored women paving the wave in the male-dominated brewing industry.

#2 WAGE NEGOTIATION WEBINAR

A free wage negotiation webinar was released to the public as an on-demand resource allowing Montanans from the comfort of their own homes to access the information and practice the skills to engage in a successful wage negotiation. “Most women balance careers and family responsibilities and often can’t miss work or arrange childcare to attend wage negotiation training. This webinar will be accessible to all Montanans at their convenience,” said Montana Department of Commerce Director and Task Force co-chair Tara Rice.

To view the wage negotiation webinar, visit EQUALPAY.MT.GOV 

#3 CAMPUS CAREER FAIR

Task Force staff traveled to campuses in Bozeman, Miles City, and Polson connecting with students and employers. Research shows the wage gap starts to impact women just one year out of college. Campus career fairs were an opportunity for Task Force staff to educate students about the wage gap, why they should care, and what they can do about it. Employers seeking to attract students as potential hires were given information on best practices and why fair pay is good for their bottom line.

#4 DPHHS ANNOUNCES AAUW GRANT

Governor Steve Bullock announced $25,000 in grant funding to support a series of Start Smart, Work Smart wage negotiation workshops to be held across Montana. The workshops are supported by a $25,000 federal grant the Department of Public Health and Human Services awarded to the American Association of University Women of Montana. “These workshops are part of a larger effort to foster opportunities for women and girls to strengthen their education, employment, and income to reduce sexual violence,” Sheila Hogan, director at the Department of Health and Human Services, said. AAUW-MT will post information about scheduled training on their website.

#5 UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA ‘s.e.a. change’ INITIATIVE

“The S.E.A. initiative highlights and amplifies UM’s efforts to provide a safe and empowering campus for all women and a community that accelerates their careers and lives of impact. The initiative renews UM’s commitment to the work ahead in removing societal barriers that prevent women from leading empowered lives and that prevent society from benefiting from these talented and determined women.” (University of Montana SEA Change Initiative, 2019. https://www.umt.edu/sea-change/about.php). Learn more about UM’s S.E.A. Change Initiative at https://www.umt.edu/sea-change/

#6 STUDENT GOVERNMENT AT MT TECH      

On a campus that is 70% male, this year all of the student government executives are women. They are working to reduce student stress and improve communication with every level of the administration including the Regents and Legislature. Montana Tech is self-described as a premier STEM University, excelling in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math—typically male-dominated fields but the all-women’s student government is determined to make their voices heard. Marissa VandenBos, a student senator, told the Montana Standard, “We are going to represent students’ voices and needs to the administration and the Legislature, and to the Regents and they are going to listen to us.”

#7 RECORD NUMBER OF WOMEN IN ELECTED OFFICE

This year, more women took their seats in elected offices than ever before. A record setting 126 women are in Congress holding 23% of the seats which is the highest percentage in U.S. History; 25 women serve in the Senate and 101 women in the House. According to Rutgers, The number of women in statewide elective executive posts is 91 and 2,134 women are serving in state Legislatures. This includes two EPEW Task Force members, Senator Diane Sands of Missoula and Representative Laurie Bishop of Livingston. 

#8 U.S. WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM 

The National Law Review reports that “earlier this year the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team filed a complaint in Federal Court against their employer for violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act for paying the women’s team less than the men’s team for equal work.” The men’s team issued a statement in support of the women’s lawsuit and commits to a revenue-sharing model for fair compensation. Their FIFA World Cup win put a national spotlight on equal pay, and earned the team the coveted moniker of being named TIME Magazine’s Athlete of the Year

#9 FIRST ALL-WOMAN SPACE WALK

The 221^st spacewalk to support space station assembly was first to be conducted entirely by women. NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch, formerly of Livingston Montana, have quickly become  role models for girls around the world and are paving the way for women in the field of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The 2013 class of astronaut candidates was the first to be 50% women and NASA plans to put the first woman on the moon in 2024. Christina recently had a video chat from space with the Park High School in Livingston, saying she is inspired by anything that makes her feel small like the sky and the mountains in Montana.

#10 JUDGE REQUIRES COMPANIES TO REPORT PAY BY GENDER

A federal judge ordered the government to move forward with collecting pay data by race and gender from large companies—a step toward ending employer discrimination which puts pressure on companies to act equitably. The 2019 Pay Equity Practices Survey showed that 60% of large organizations are working to resolve pay inequities based on gender and race. Research shows that compensation transparency results in a greater sense of fairness and drives performance.

BONUS! PAID FAMILY LEAVE FOR FEDERAL WORKERS

Employees of the federal government are expected to soon have the option of taking 12 weeks of paid parental leave. This landmark policy is part of a larger defense spending bill that has made it out of both the U.S. House and Senate. The bill is now headed to the president's desk. Read more here.

The potential lost wages in Montana due to unpaid parental leave were estimated to be nearly $80 million in 2017. Research suggests that paid family leave decreases turnover and can increase productivity levels at minimal cost to employers all while helping to reduce the gender wage gap.