WHEREAS, International Women's Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women; and
WHEREAS, gender inequality persists throughout the world for women of all races and cultures, LGBTQI+ women, women with disabilities, trans-women, two spirit and gender diverse people, who have experienced many forms of oppression; and
WHEREAS, according to the United Nations, a large gender gap remains in women's access to decision-making and leadership; and
WHEREAS, Pew Research states more than 47 percent of women make up the US workforce; and
WHEREAS, Minnesota has 16 female senators and 48 female house members; and
WHEREAS, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners has a majority of women serving on the board; and
WHEREAS, Hennepin County is an equal opportunity employer supporting employees of all genders, where over 62 percent of the workforce, including 55% of leadership, identify as female; and
WHEREAS, Hennepin County has a Lean In Employee Resource Group with executive sponsorship, leadership and membership that amplifies the voices of women at all levels of the organization, and prioritizes the voices of women of color, in the work of strengthening equity and allyship in our organization; and
WHEREAS, we encourage everyone to take actions against gender bias and inequity in support of the 2022 theme of “BreakTheBias”.