Author: Cassie Bicknell
I often think about how fortunate I have been to live, work and raise my family in Pittsburg. Rural Kansas has afforded me and my family countless opportunities for connection, community, volunteerism and growth. As a longtime resident of Pittsburg, trust me when I say that this community is a great place to live, but we still have more growing that we need to do.
There are several structural issues that are preventing our women and families – and in turn our state – from realizing its potential. These are issues that affect all of us, including childcare, eldercare, and the digital divide. In fact, the McKinsey Global Institute found that Kansas could grow its economy by as much as 10-15% by 2025 if women’s participation in the workforce increased.
Earlier this year, United WE, an evidence-based, nonpartisan organization dedicated to unlocking women’s economic and civic leadership, unveiled new research that illuminated progress made by Kansas women but also showed barriers to their economic potential. While several issues impact women’s ability to fully participate in the workforce, barriers like childcare stand out as a pressing issue in Kansas that even garnered national attention. Kansas infant care costs are 29% of female median earnings and infant care at daycare centers are typically 1.3 times more expensive than in-state college tuition. In order to recruit and retain Kansas women in the workforce and grow our Kansas economy to its full potential, we need to come together and make progress in these areas.
When a woman’s economic potential is unleashed, their families succeed, their communities succeed, and their state succeeds. I want this for our community and its residents. However, this responsibility isn’t just for our policymakers to tackle – it’s going to take all of us. I urge you to use your voice so that we can pay it forward for the future of our families, community, and state.
A simple first step is by engaging in a Town Hall Series taking place across Kansas this summer that’s hosted by United WE and sponsored by The Bicknell Family Foundation to identify barriers impacting women in the workplace and entrepreneurship, including childcare, paid family leave, broadband access and more. There is a Town Hall taking place in Pittsburg on August 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Pittsburg State University Governor’s Room. I’m proud that Mariner Foundation is sponsoring this event that is open to all women and allies and includes complimentary lunch, free professional childcare and a $10 gift card for all participants. The stories heard will be combined into a comprehensive report and used to create bipartisan policy reform for all Kansas women. Register online and learn more about the initiative at www.united-we.org/townhalls.
We need our community to share their time and their experiences to provide a picture of the challenges that women in rural America are facing, including access to affordable healthcare, childcare, and eldercare to name just a few. These insights will help organizations like United WE and our great state to develop smart, targeted solutions to these challenges. Let’s collaborate with organizations and nonprofits that offer a hand up as opposed to a hand out.
I support the empowerment of women to affect change in our rural communities. Will you use your voice and join me in doing the same?