FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — On Friday, Gov. Andy Beshear, Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman and members of the Kentucky Commission on Women unveiled the portraits of seven new inductees to the Kentucky Women Remembered exhibit. This is the first time in 10 years new inductees have been added to the exhibit at the Capitol.
"It had been 10 years since we’d done it," said Beshear. "Ten years - where so many women were doing so many incredible things, leading in such important ways. And yet, as has often happened throughout our history, not gotten the recognition that they deserved."
“We are honored to welcome Lonnie Ali, Jane Beshear, Sharon Currens, Hannah Drake, the late Mary Margaret Mulvihill, Peggy Purdom Patterson and the late bell hooks, to the exhibit," Beshear added.
Marita Willis, chair of the Kentucky Commission on Women, also announced the release of a new publication from the commission called “Women in Kentucky,” which includes data on the status of women in Kentucky. The commission partnered with KY STATS, the Department for Public Health and others to collect the data to create this report. The data concludes that women are highly represented in educational attainment but underrepresented in government and workforce participation and that they lack equal pay.
"Women make up more than 50% of the state's total population. Overall, girls are more ready for Kindergarten than boys. Young women represent more than 58% of students enrolled in colleges and have earned Bachelor's degrees," said Willis. "Yet, only 69% of Kentucky women are currently participating in the labor force compared to over 76% of men. And on average, Kentucky women earn 79 cents on the dollar and are under-represented in elected offices."
So, how does Kentucky fix the problem?
"It's going to take allies who are serving in office, who respect and value women enough to believe that we should be making the same amount for the same work," said Lt. Gov. Coleman. "And in cases where we don’t have allies, we need women to run and win and serve."
Coleman also emphasized prioritizing policies that support women.
"When we talk about an 11% raise for educators, that workforce is 75% female, right? When we talk about universal pre-K for every 4-year-old in Kentucky, that helps with childcare," she said. That helps women get back into the workforce."
