Topeka, KS – The Women’s Foundation today commended the Kansas Legislature and Governor Jeff Colyer for including a proviso in the state budget, which prohibits the use of state funds to settle sexual harassment cases or request non-disclosure agreements. The ban will apply to sexual harassment cases brought against state employees and elected officials.

Jefferson City, Mo. – The Women’s Foundation today applauded the Missouri General Assembly for passing HB 1500, which will reduce occupational licensing regulations and allow hair braiders to practice without a cosmetology license.

Kansas City, Mo. – The Women’s Foundation announced today that veteran journalist Ann Curry will be the keynote speaker at its We Work for Change Annual Event in October.  

This year’s event theme, “Truth Tellers: Stories that Change the World,” will feature timely discussions on pressing issues, such as the need for more women in leadership roles and the power of personal stories and factual information to make change. 

Lauren was appointed to the Board of Trustees of City Trusts in Kansas City, Missouri. She is a graduate of Philander Smith College with a degree in English and received her Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law.

Kansas City, Mo – The Women’s Foundation today applauded the United States Senate for making the family-friendly decision to allow senators to bring children under the age of one onto the Senate floor. 

Cynthia is a First Grade teacher at a dual language public school in Topeka, Kansas and has been teaching for eight years. She is currently pursuing a Masters of Educational Leadership at Kansas State University. 

Jefferson City – The Women’s Foundation today condemned the sexual violence and abuse described in sworn testimony to the Missouri House Special Investigative Committee on Oversight. Women’s Foundation President & CEO Wendy Doyle made this statement:

It is a shocking reality that in 2018, more than a half century after the passage of the Equal Pay Act, women are still not paid equally for equal work. Equal Pay Day marks the day when women’s wages “catch up” to those of men, demonstrating how much longer – and harder – women have to work just to make the same amount as their male counterparts. 

Kansas City, Mo. – Ahead of Equal Pay Day on April 10th, the Women’s Foundation is encouraging employers to implement equal pay best practices to ensure gender pay parity among their employees. An updated analysis from the Women’s Foundation and the University of Missouri Institute of Public Policy shows women in Missouri who work full-time, year-round, earn 78 cents for every dollar earned by men.

Tracee Adams, a financial services professional, serves on the Wichita Police and Fire Retirement Board or Trustees, where, until most recently, she was the only non-staff woman on the board.