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| Senator Olson appointed to Economic Status of Women Advisory CommitteeSenate leadership has appointed Sen. Mary Olson, DFL - Bemidji, to the advisory committee to the Office on the Economic Status of Women (OESW). “Historically, women in Minnesota have been better off than those in other states,” said Sen. Olson. “Minnesota women have the highest labor force participation rate in the nation and earn more than the national average. However, there remain some troubling trends that show a significant economic disparity between men and women. These are the types of issues I will focus on in my work on the advisory committee.” The OESW advises the legislature and provides information and statistics on women in Minnesota. The office gathers information on population characteristics, educational attainment and enrollments, marital and parental status, household characteristics, labor force status and employment characteristics, and basic information on women's legal and economic rights. As a member of the OESW Advisory Committee, Sen. Olson will help guide the work of the office, and will serve as a liaison between the organization and the legislature. “Despite the relative success of women in Minnesota, statistics indicate that income inequality is slightly higher in Minnesota than the national average, and that women in the state are far more likely than men to fall into poverty,” said Sen. Olson. “It is important that we examine the underlying causes for this disparity, and work to find practical ways to improve the economic status of women.” Sen. Olson noted that she would focus on expanding educational opportunities for girls and women as a way to reduce these inequalities. “Post-secondary education is the most efficient way to equalize the economic standing of men and women,” Sen. Olson said. “Study after study shows that the wage gap is significantly narrowed by achieving a post-secondary degree. Minnesota has done an excellent job of expanding access to higher education to women. The next step needs to be bringing women into the highdemand industries of the 21st century, including information technology, biosciences, health care, and engineering.” The OESW, formerly the Council on the Economic Status of Women, was created by the Minnesota Legislature in 1976. In 1983, it was reorganized as a joint legislative advisory commission and the name changed to the Commission on the Economic Status of Women. In 2005, it was renamed the Office on the Economic Status of Women and aligned under the Legislative Coordinating Commission. For more information, contact Sen. Olson’s office at (651) 296-4913 or sen.mary.olson@senate.mn . | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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