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Authorizing the creation of a Special Committee on Gender Parity of the City Council of Philadelphia, for the purpose of holding hearings to identify problems related to the social, political, educational and economic empowerment of women and exploring and developing initiatives to advance parity for women.
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WHEREAS, According to the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2005, the participation rate of women in the labor force was 59.3 percent, and women comprised 46 percent of the total labor force in the United States; and
WHEREAS, The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reports that from 1970 to 2004, women made significant gains in educational achievement, yet, even with a four-year college degree, as of 2004, women had median weekly earnings that were only 75 percent of the weekly earnings of their male counterparts; and
WHEREAS, Although women hold half of all management and professional positions in the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics states that women managers are paid only 72 percent of what their male counterparts are paid and comprise only 8 percent of the nation’s top managers; and
WHEREAS, Women are disproportionately employed in traditional women’s jobs which tend to pay less than those employing mostly men; and
WHEREAS, According to a report prepared by the National Organization for Women Foundation (NOW), in May 2006, women likewise are underrepresented on the faculties of many of the nation’s colleges and universities, particularly in the areas of science, mathematics and engineering, in proportion to the number of women holding Ph.D’s in these disciplines; and
WHEREAS, NOW reports that the dearth of female representation in top management and top academic positions in scientific disciplines deprives women aspiring to careers in these areas of mentors and role models and contributes to the decline of female participation at the upper levels of their professions; and
WHEREAS, According to the National Women’s Business Council (Business Council), women owned businesses in the country continue to grow and become more diverse in terms of race, industry and size, constituting 48 percent of all privately-held firms in the country, and according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on March 21, 2006, employing more than 27 million people, but receiving only 7 percent of all venture capital and just 2 to 5 percent of yearly investment dollars; and
WHEREAS, According to the Pennsylvania State Data Center, Pennsylvania ranked 42nd in the nation in terms of the growth of privately held women owned businesses between 1997 and 2002, with these firms growing only 11.9 percent during that time period, the state ranking third lowest in the country with only 45.7 of such firms for every 1,000 adult women, and women owned businesses taking in just above 4 percent of total state revenue while totaling 26 percent of all businesses in the state; and
WHEREAS, Women owned businesses exist in numerous industries, with the fastest growth rates occurring in non-traditional industries such as construction, agricultural services, transportation, communications and public utilities; and
WHEREAS, The Business Council has determined that despite their diversification and growth, women owned businesses still face difficulty: accessing corporate markets; acquiring government contracts; with cash flow, capital, time management, health care insurance, small business expense deductions, taxes, educating the workforce; and accessing training and technical assistance; and
WHEREAS, Factors of race and ethnicity greatly increase the magnitude of social and structural barriers encountered by women in developing and sustaining their own businesses, as reported by the Minority Business Development Subcommittee of the 21st Century Review Forum, and citing the need for more race and ethnic specific statistical information regarding women owned businesses, in order to gauge impact and target resources; and
WHEREAS, Women’s wages have become increasingly important to the economic security of families, according to a study conducted by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research; and
WHEREAS, It is crucial to the economic welfare of women and their families and to the economic vitality of our city to identify and attempt to resolve problems encountered by women regarding their full and equal participation in the city’s social, political, educational and economic arena; now, therefore,
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That Council hereby authorizes the creation of a Special Committee on Gender Parity of the City Council of Philadelphia, consisting of City Council members and others to be appointed by the Council President, for the purpose of holding hearings to identify problems related to the social, political, educational and economic empowerment of women and exploring and developing initiatives to advance parity for women.
FURTHER RESOLVED That the sponsor of this Resolution shall be authorized to serve as Chairperson of the Special Committee on Gender Parity of the City Council of Philadelphia.
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