“For two decades, the Vermont Women’s Economic Opportunity Conference has been a staple of that effort, serving as a catalyst of entrepreneurship and an engine of advancement. It has helped countless Vermont women from all walks of life embark on new careers, build new partnerships and develop new skills. It has empowered them to take risks, to follow their passions and to fight for their rightful seat at the table. And in doing so, it has created jobs, grown businesses and helped strengthen the economy not only of this great state, but of the entire nation. That’s because the prosperity and well-being of America is increasingly tied to the prosperity and well-being of American women. Today, women constitute more than half of the country’s workforce. More women are graduating from college than men and have since the 1990s. And a growing number of women are now their family’s primary earner, which means that how much we spend on things like housing and health care increasingly depends on women’s professional success. As President Obama has said, “When women do well, everybody does well.”
“Ultimately, that’s what your presence here today is all about. By daring to make your dreams a reality; by demanding to be treated as equals; by striving to hone your skills and expand your horizons; and by forging bonds and building relationships with one another, you are creating positive change, right here in your great state. You are challenging our institutions to become more open and inclusive. You are helping our society to recognize that diversity only makes us stronger. And, above all, you are serving as powerful role models for your daughters, your granddaughters and all those who will follow, ensuring by your example that the next generation will carry us even further down the path to a brighter, a more equal and a more just future.”
Read Senator Leahy’s full remarks from WEOC.
Read about the event in the Valley News.
[x_button shape=”square” size=”regular” float=”none” href=”https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/attorney-general-loretta-e-lynch-delivers-remarks-20th-annual-vermont-womens-economic” title=”Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch Delivers Remarks at the 20th Annual Vermont Women’s Economic Opportunity Conference” target=”blank” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover”]Read U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s full remarks[/x_button]