Largest Women's Business Group Leadership Conference Calls For Contractors To Be Paid During Shutdown

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Oct 14, 2013, 05:15 ET

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Women business owners from around the country converged in Washington, D.C., last week with stories of layoffs and work stoppages by government contractors due to the shutdown. Hosted by the nation's largest women's business group, Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), attendees at the two-day conference called for the government to ensure paying its small business contractors and for long-term economic measures.

"Women business owners are leading our economic recovery," said WIPP President Barbara Kasoff. "To sustain this momentum, government must do its part by providing stability and certainty in its economic policies. Small business contractors are conducting the government's business, but left holding the bag with financial risks, meeting payroll and business obligations."

Despite the shutdown, many WIPP leaders were able to visit their Member of Congress last week to discuss how the fiscal uncertainty surrounding federal budgets is hampering business growth. In addition, they stressed how tax reform should reflect simplicity and fairness and asked for assistance to reach the 5% goal for federal contracting with women-owned businesses.

"Women business owners contribute $1.2 trillion to the economy and employ 7.6 million. In light of this economic data, it is more important than ever that women lead with their voice in both policy and business," Kasoff said.

Today, WIPP issued a Call to Action for Washington to work together to create an economy essential to business. Kasoff added, "Elected leaders should do what is right for our economy. There are no winners; only losers. Businesswomen deserve better."

WIPP is a national nonpartisan public policy organization, advocating on behalf of woman business owners and 75 organizations. Together, we form a coalition which reaches over 4.7 million women. WIPP identifies important trends and opportunities and provides a collaborative model for the public and private sectors to increase the economic power of women-owned businesses. For more information, please visit www.wipp.org.

SOURCE Women Impacting Public Policy