Kate Kuhlmann
AAUW Texas Lobbyist, Kate Kuhlman, provides an introduction to the 89th legislative session.
AAUW Texas is inviting you to a Public Policy Zoom meeting
Our AAUW TX lobbyist, Kate Kulhmann of Hillco Partners, assists us in identifying legislation to support or oppose on issues that will impact the women of Texas. During this Zoom meeting, she will present a perspective on issues that will likely see traction in the upcoming session. She also will provide suggestions on how AAUW TX members can be most effective in our public policy efforts.
Time: Tuesday, December 3rd at 7:00 p.m.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6542612876?omn=82234997601
Meeting ID: 654 261 2876
Georgia Kimmel, Public Policy Chair
Diversity in the Workplace: Hybrid Work Empowers Women
The Covid pandemic led to significant changes in the American workplace. How we work, when we work, where we work, and the overall expectation of the workplace experience has risen from background noise to breaking news. A series of lockdowns, aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus, lasted until the mid-2020s, when the first wave of the pandemic was believed to have passed. With people in quarantine, online shopping and home delivery services flourished. Many brick and mortar shops were forced out of business and larger companies realized that to stay in business, they would need to create more flexible working arrangements for employees. Thousands of employees worked for entities that began to allow them to work remotely, at least part of the time, from home now referred to as hybrid working.
This flexible working schedule has especially helped women be able to balance their work and family responsibilities. Remote work allows for better time management. Without the burden and stress of commuting, women are freer to schedule their work time and other responsibilities. Hybrid work can enable more women to enter the workforce, as many women have family responsibilities that prevent them from pursuing a career. Many employers discovered that hybrid work can also make women more productive.
Hybrid work has become an equalizer for women leaders as it provides women with opportunities to advance their careers without the constraints of a traditional 9-5 office schedule. This can help them break the “glass-ceiling” and achieve greater leadership positions. Hybrid work allows women improved access to online training and development opportunities, regardless of their location or family responsibilities. According to a study by McKinsey & Company, women are less likely to have access to professional development opportunities overall than men. Hybrid work can break down barriers to career advancement for women by providing greater flexibility and access to professional development opportunities. According to a report by the Center for American Progress, women are less likely than men to hold managerial positions. Hybrid work can help women learn about other roles within their organization and increase their visibility with senior leadership.
By the numbers:
• 53% of women say hybrid work has empowered them to apply for a promotion.
• 66% of women say that the hybrid model has opened up new opportunities at work.
• 61% of women with a mobility disability agree the hybrid model has made their job more inclusive.
• 75% of women from minority groups say hybrid work has brought them greater opportunities.
• 70% of women say hybrid work has positively impacted their career thanks to better mental health.
Source: Advancing Equality: Women in the Hybrid Workplace
Interviews with several middle-aged women, currently working hybrid positions, reveal that not all women enjoy this hybrid schedule. They miss the collegial work environment and the social interactions with coworkers. This is often referred to as “proximity bias”. Employees working in close proximity to one another feel more connected to co-workers, able to share progress on projects with smoother collaboration, and enjoy spontaneous conversations. Two in five workers report feeling worried that less face-to-face time with company leadership will negatively impact their career growth. This worry is also shared by organizations , with 41% of executives saying potential inequities between remote and in-office employees are their top concern. Thus, these companies continue to work to mitigate these concerns.
Karen McKibben-Morris, Public Policy Committee Member
AAUW Public Policy Work
AAUW’s public policy work connects and rallies advocates at the local, state, national, and global levels to empower women and girls. At the national level, our priority is to remove bias from education, fight for fair pay and economic equity, and to advance women in leadership.
Learn more about these national positions and advocacy work on major issues by going to our national website https://www.aauw.org/ A nonpartisan guide about key gender equity issues is available at https://www.aauw.org/app/uploads/2024/06/Its-My-Vote-2024-Voter-Issue-Guide-English.pdf
It’s easy to advocate for women’s issues by becoming a two-minute activist. Check this link: https://www.aauw.org/act/two-minute-activist/ Sign up to receive alerts.
In Texas, at the state and local levels, public policy work includes identifying, tracking and assessing legislation, regulations, and policies with our legislative priorities:
- Equal Pay
- Women’s Healthcare, including reproductive rights
- Education-related issues including vouchers by any name
- Book censorship
- Reducing Gun Violence
- Free and Fair Elections
Our local branch encourages voting, advocacy, and being informed.
Thank You! For Supporting WHCB Project to Promote Literacy
(Thank you, Cathy! I am so glad you said “Yes” to adopting a library. We must also thank Cathy for working during the election. )
There were many book deliveries made to Spring Branch Family Development Center from May through July. In response we received this note:
Dear Georgia,
Thank you and please thank AAUW for supporting SBFDC’s Little Free Library.
I’m its unofficial librarian and it is so exciting to be able to keep the collection vibrant with good quality reading materials. I expect 600 books to be checked out each month this summer. It is very popular.
Thank you for supporting the thirst for learning and our community!
Laura Segura
Spring Branch Family Development Center
We are still collecting gently used toddler board books, beginning readers, chapter books, graphic novels, illustrated nonfiction texts, mysteries, and young adult fiction, and old issues of women’s magazines.
Questions: Contact Cathy Urquhart at curquhart80@gmail.com or text 832-454-5017
Georgia Kimmel,
Public Policy Chair