‘We still have work to do’

To the editor:

I am writing in response to an action taken by the Senate Finance Committee in the very early morning hours of Thursday, May 28, to “unfund” the New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women.

The commission was created by the Legislature in 1969, and has worked diligently since that time to enhance opportunities and promote positive change for the women and girls of New Hampshire.

The commission, currently comprised of two full-time staff and 15 volunteer commissioners who are appointed by the governor and Executive Council, has performed admirably over the last 40 years to advocate on behalf of those who were least able to stand up and speak for themselves.

The work of the commission has been unparalleled and unduplicated in our state, starting with the establishment of an annual academic and athletic awards program for high school females to the ground-breaking study on New Hampshire’s incarcerated women to the creation and publication of the widely acclaimed, “Legal Handbook for New Hampshire Women,” the fourth revision of which has just gone to press – to name just a few.

Currently, the commission is working tirelessly to create the New Hampshire Women’s Heritage Trail, which will finally provide recognition and acknowledgement to many women who have gone unnoticed for their amazing accomplishments. The commission also launched a Better Jobs for NH Women-New Traditions project to expand access to livable wage careers and jobs for more women.

In New Hampshire, women have made incredible gains over the past decades, particularly in the political arena. Yet, we are still ranked in 39th place when it comes to pay equity between women and men doing comparable work. It is apparent that we still have work to do! More information on the commission can be obtained ww.nh.gov/csw.

Sylvia E. Gale
Executive Director
N.H. Commission on the
Status of Women