Wednesday, April 1, 1998 | 10:05 a.m.
Child care, pay equity and effective leadership were issues that local political figures discussed at a women's forum Tuesday at UNLV.
"Women in Politics," sponsored by the UNLV College Democrats in honor of women's history month, addressed various issues that all women face.
Panel members said that cost-efficient child care is a necessity for women to be successful in the working world.
Panel member Las Vegas Mayor Jan Laverty Jones explained that child care may be affordable to women with a steady, high income, but it is difficult for women with lower incomes, especially women on welfare.
"In order for these women to take jobs, they risk losing health and welfare benefits and that's too frightening to them," Jones said. "And child care is something that they can't pay on their own."
Jones also said that pay equity is the same as it was 10 years ago -- men still make more money than women for the same position.
Anne Golonka, president of the National Organization for Women who attended the forum, said that nationally a woman makes $.74 to the $1 a man makes and in Nevada a woman makes $.71.3 to the $1 a man makes in the same job.
"If there is not economic justice for women, then everything else becomes meaningless," Golonka said.
Another issue stressed by members of the panel is that it's up to women to make the change.
"You are the key ingredient to bringing these issues about," Sara Besser, southern Nevada director for U.S. Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., said to the audience.
Panel member Sen. Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, said on a national scale, Nevada ranks 10th for women in elected office, but only 43rd in the number of women who are registered to vote.
Women also were encouraged to take a leadership role in politics.
"It is assumed that women in government are going to be fragile," Jones said. "The one thing about leadership is that they have to take you seriously. When you stick to your point they see that you are serious and you advance women as credible counterparts.
"We are dealing with an institutionalized image of women. If women effectively represent themselves as leaders then eventually men and women will be treated even."
Panel members also discussed issues such as long-term health care for the state's growing number of seniors, education and environment.
Other panel participants included Regent Shelley Berkley, a Democratic congressional candidate; Helen Foley, Dunn-Reber-Glenn-Marz vice president; Rose McKinney-James, candidate for lieutenant governor; and Lindsey Jydstrup, Nevada democratic legislative campaign director. The panel was moderated by UNLV history professor Joanne Goodwin.
archive
