GenderAvenger and Representative Don Beyer Join to Ask U.S Congressmen to Pledge to Support Women's Voices
Congressman Beyer will invite his 300+ male colleagues to sign the GenderAvenger Pledge: "I will not serve as a panelist at a public conference when there are no women on the panel*"
WASHINGTON, March 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The public is ill served when women's voices are omitted from important discussions. That is why Representative Don Beyer (D-VA) is asking his male colleagues in the U.S House of Representatives to join him in promising to never join a panel discussion at which only men are present. A panel consists of three or more speakers. In the case of these elected officials, the pledge applies only to events outside official Congressional sessions.
Mr. Beyer will personally reach out to Republicans and Democrats alike with a simple ask: sign the GenderAvenger pledge. In addition to Beyer, Representatives Joe Kennedy (D-MA) and Bill Keating (D-MA) have signed the Pledge, as has U.S Senator Bob Casey (D-PA).
GenderAvenger (GA) is a national nonprofit organization that quantifies the number of women and women of color on conference stages, on significant lists, in publications, on-screen, and wherever gender balance is an issue. The organization offers a suite of user friendly social media tools designed to help 'call out' gender inequality in public life, especially on influential public stages and where decisions are made.
Congressman Don Beyer said "While we hear much about the divisiveness on Capitol Hill, I am optimistic that many of my fellow legislators will sign the GenderAvenger Pledge. Women, especially women of color, are underrepresented in leadership roles in the public arena and men can use our influence to advance equality. This will be good for our country and put us on a more competitive path for a more prosperous democratic society."
At 23% women, Congress is more gender diverse than it has ever been. But there remains a huge leadership gap in the United States, which impacts our economic wellbeing and prospects for future growth, because diverse organizations perform better.
Data underscores the importance of male allies in advancing women. Christina Kwauk of the Brookings Institution cites the outsize impact of "micro-level norm changes" from male allies, such as refusing to speak in a forum where women's voices are not present. Kwauk writes, "Of course there is power in millions of women joining hands in protest against gender discrimination, but it is in boys' and men's understanding of gender justice that together we can transform a hammer and chisel into a bulldozer against the barriers facing girls and women."
About the GenderAvenger Pledge
The GenderAvenger Pledge states: "I will not serve as a panelist at a public conference when there are no women on the panel"
*A panel consists of 3 or more speakers. In the case of elected officials, the pledge applies only to events outside the halls of Congress.
How it Works
- Take the pledge online at www.genderavenger.com/pledge. GenderAvenger will feature you as a new signer in our newsletter and on social media.
- Share about the pledge and encourage others to join you.
- Speak up when you see poor gender balance! (See our handy list of common excuses and how to beat them.)
- Compliment organizers where there is good gender balance.
About GenderAvenger
Founded by Gina Glantz and Susan Askew in 2014, GenderAvenger is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that women are represented in the public dialog, because women's voices count.
The nonprofit organization has created three primary tools – GA Tally, GA Pledge, and GA Stamp of Approval. Each tool creates specific opportunities and incentives to communicate the value of women's voices in the public arena. Organizations are rewarded when they reach gender balance including representation of women of color.
Contact: Morra Aarons Mele for GenderAvenger
[email protected]
202-230-2668
*A panel consists of 3 or more speakers. In the case of elected officials, the pledge applies only to events outside the halls of Congress.
SOURCE GenderAvenger
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