United Women’s Empowerment hosted a virtual town hall Tuesday for Mid-Missouri women in the workforce. The organization is hosting events both virtually and in-person across the state this fall, and says their goal is to hear feedback from Missouri women and find solutions for the economic barriers they face.
“It really is an opportunity for women to talk about the post COVID-19 recovery and economic barriers and challenges that women in their families are addressing,” United WE President and CEO Wendy Doyle said.
The town halls are an initiative of the United WE’s recently formed Women’s Economic Development Task Force. Moderators posed survey questions and fielded comments from attendees.
A primary topic was access to Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP loans. According to the Missouri Department of Labor, as well as the National Association of Women Business Owners, only 53 percent of women business owners were able to access PPP loans, compared with 72 percent of Missouri business owners overall.
The number was even lower for women business owners of color.
“Those who have a relationship with their banker were successful in securing the PPP funding,” Doyle said. “But a lot of women don’t have a relationship with their banker, and this is something that has really come out throughout the town halls.”
The discussion also touched on the topics of mentorship, paid time off, health care access, as well as an examination of barriers to women running for local office.
"Child care is a huge, huge pain point during COVID. It’s a huge pain point in the best of times.”Kathy Wunderlich
The majority of attendees stated that internet quality and access did not present significant problems for them, but it should be noted that this town hall was held virtually – so those facing connectivity issues may not have been able to attend.
However, both rural participants and some from lower income urban neighborhoods pointed out that while the infrastructure is there, the cost of internet access can be prohibitive.
Kathy Wunderlich is a Program Associate with The Hawthorn Foundation, and attended the town hall.
“Child care is a huge, huge pain point during COVID,” Wunderlich said. “It’s a huge pain point in the best of times.”
The concerns raised about child care ranged from anxiety about the lack of socialization and educational delays to daycare facility subsidies running out.
In fact, 41 percent of all Missouri counties lack accredited childcare facilities. That’s according to a November 2020 report thgat United WE commissioned from The Institute of Public Policy at The Harry S. Truman School of Public Affairs on the economic status of women in Missouri.
United WE will hold two more in-person events in October: 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 6 at the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and 11:30 a.m. on Oct.14 at Truman State University in Kirksville. Complimentary childcare will be available at both.
The next virtual town hall meeting is from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Oct. 28. You can register for these events at united-we.org/mo-town-halls.
This year marks the organization’s 30th. Founded in Kansas City, United WE is a non-profit and non partisan organization.. Their mission is to address systemic barriers women face through research and policy advocacy.
To learn more about the organization, go to http://www.united-we.org/ or follow @UnitedWeEmpower.
