WOMENS WAY will host over 300 women at its 2nd Annual Women and Influence conference on Saturday, November 20, 2004, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Community College of Philadelphia’s Winnet Student Life Building. Women & Influence is a FREE half-day conference consisting of workshops and a keynote address designed to address the lack of representation of women in key leadership roles in our region and to foster an environment of equality in politics and in the workplace. Citizens Bank has generously underwritten this year’s conference and the Community College of Philadelphia and its Women’s Center has partnered with WOMENS WAY and donated its facilities.
Workshop presenters representing a variety of political and professional backgrounds will lead discussions relating to targeted workshop topics. Each conference participant will be invited to participate in two workshops. The overall goal of this conference is to challenge women to participate actively in a variety of community and workplace settings in order to accelerate the pace of progress for themselves and all women.
Marie C. Wilson, President of The White House Project and former President of Ms. Foundation for Women, will be the featured keynote speaker. Plenary speakers include Irene Hannan, Head of Specialized Industries at Citizens Bank, Charisse R. Lille, Partner at Ballard, Spahr, Andrews & Ingeroll LLP, Sharon Pinkenson, Executive Director of Greater Philadelphia Film Office, and Julie Welker, President of Welker Real Estate.
The Women and Influence conference is a follow-up to WOMENS WAY’s January 2004 Update "A Change of Pace: Accelerating Women’s Progress", an in-depth study of the socio-economic status of women in our region created through a unique partnership among WOMENS WAY, the Alice Paul Center for Research on Women and Gender at the University of Pennsylvania and Solutions for Progress, a public policy think-tank. The disturbing statistics behind this report are the impetus for this second public forum to address the lack of representation of women in key leadership roles in our region and to foster an environment of equality in politics and in the workplace.
WOMENS WAY Executive Director Melissa Weiler Gerber states, "There is no doubt that women have made great strides in corporate and government arenas over the last few decades. Yet until we achieve a "critical mass," our voices will continue to be marginalized. This conference is about women empowering women to achieve their highest leadership potential so that we can make a real difference in setting policy and priorities in our workplaces, our communities, and our nation."
"Citizens Bank realizes the many important contributions women make in both the workplace and in the community. Over the past 15 years, the number of females breaking the glass ceiling and achieving executive level positions in the banking industry has greatly increased. While this is a positive sign, women will continue to face barriers to their success. As the presenting sponsor of the WOMENS WAY Women & Influence conference, Citizens Bank would like to encourage more women in our community to conquer the barriers that exist, strive for key leadership positions and serve as role models for future women leaders," said Pamela A. Crawley, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at Citizens Bank.
WOMENS WAY, the nation’s oldest and largest women’s fund raising federation, raises money and public awareness to fight for and achieve women's equality, safety, self-sufficiency and reproductive freedom through women-centered funding, advocacy and education. For more information, call 215-985-3322 or visit WOMENS WAY on the website at www.womensway.org.
