Listening tour to assist women in work force

To bolster New Mexico women to find their voice in the workforce, New Mexico Commission on the Status of Women is set to host a Listening & Tour event at Clovis Community College on Feb. 23.

Executive Director Jenifer Getz said the goal of the Commission is to assist women within politics, business, finance and in healing from sexual abuse. Getz said the Commission strives to bring a future where women will not face discrimination within the work force and get equal benefits.

“We work for all of the women in the state. Not just women in one town, one social status or one region. It is every New Mexican woman,” Getz said.

In 2021, the NM Commission conducted a survey over six regions within the state. Getz said the survey revealed women are mainly affected by economic security. She said in a 2023 study it showed that 50% of working-age women in New Mexico are not in the workforce.

Though the pandemic played a big role in the percentage, Getz said many women were not able to find their way back to the workforce and economic security for their families due to some barriers.

“There were barriers for women returning. Some of those barriers were pretty obvious, like equal pay,” Getz said.

Getz said the Commission will be co-hosting the event with the Clovis Small Business Development Center and CCC, where there will be a panel of women business owners speaking about starting a small business in the state. She said there will also be discussion about new laws aimed at supporting women within New Mexico.

“With each regional event we hope to connect women with their local resources at the Small Business Development Center, educational institution and political representatives. By doing so we believe all stakeholders can better support the women they represent,” Getz said.

The free event is open to all, but guests are expected to register at https://nmcsw.org/listening-tour-2023-2024-2/ .

Getz said the event will include a lunch from 11 a.m. to noon, with local speakers from noon to 2 p.m. in room 101 at the CCC campus.