Press Release: Evers Administration Officials Hold La Crosse Roundtable in Honor of Women's History Month with Wisconsin Women in Business Initiative Corporation

STATE OF WISCONSIN

DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION

Tony Evers, Governor

Kathy Blumenfeld, Secretary

Evers Administration Officials Hold La Cross Roundtable in Honor of Women's History Month with Wisconsin Women in Business Initiative Corporation 

La Crosse, Wis. – Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld and Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Administrator Michele Carter, held a roundtable discussion in La Crosse today with Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC) Vice President of Programs and Operations Dr. Kamaljit Jackson, Wisconsin Women’s Council Executive Director Jenifer Cole, as well as community stakeholders and local leaders, on women’s workforce issues and opportunities to support women business owners. 

From left: DOA Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld; Kamaljit Jackson, WWBIC vice president of programs and operations; Michele Carter, administrator of the Division of Employment & Training at the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development; and Jenifer Cole, executive director of the Wisconsin Women’s Council.

“Governor Evers declared 2024 the Year of the Worker, and Wisconsin’s workforce needs women now more than ever,” said DOA Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to connect with our partners and other agencies in the field and hear about the challenges facing women in business and in the workforce, and what we can do to address them.”

"Women are an economic force in Wisconsin and are critical to our state's success," said Michele Carter, DWD Division of Employment and Training Administrator. "Through collaborative efforts like this WWBIC forum, we can support women in the workforce and advance solutions that promote employment opportunities for all."

“Now more than ever, we need to help working women by advancing solutions to close wage gaps, make sure childcare is affordable and accessible, support opportunities for women to move into jobs with family sustaining pay, expand efforts to help women prepare for retirement, and ensure women’s economic security through every chapter of their lives,” added Jen Cole, executive director of the Wisconsin Women’s Council.

“Women have always been an integral part of our global economy. While significant strides have been made to eradicate the disparities that women face, a level playing field is yet to be accomplished,” shared Dr. Kamaljit Jackson, who served as the event’s facilitator. “However, all hope is not lost as we use our collective voices to continue to bring awareness on the work that still needs doing—this roundtable is one such example. We only rise by lifting others—working together to shine a light on the multidimensionality of a continuous struggle for equality.”

The public event spotlighted existing challenges and strategies being implemented at the state and local level to help address workforce issues in Wisconsin.