million for a grant program that funds special education services for infants and toddlers .

We must also ensure that women receive equal pay and have seats at the tables of power in both the public and private sectors . We know policies that ensure equal pay for all workers help businesses attract the strongest talent , boost productivity and benefit our economy .

And , although California has the strongest equal-pay laws in the nation , Black women in the state earn 60 cents , and Latina women earn 43 cents for every dollar white men earn . To help close that gap , we launched Equal Pay California in 2019 and spearheaded an Equal Pay Pledge to encourage California companies to commit to meeting that important goal .

Studies show that companies with more women on their boards are more profitable and boast of improved crisis management , sustainability practices and workforce engagement .

That ’ s why in 2018 California passed a landmark law requiring all publicly traded companies based in the state to have at least one woman director on their board by the end of 2019 and three women on boards of six or more by the end of 2021 . And , guess what ? It worked ! The percentage of public companies with all-male boards dropped from 30 percent to less than 3 percent .

Despite all of these gains , the pandemic has backpedaled women in the workforce , so it ’ s up to all of us to commit to real change . With so much already lost , we have an economic and moral imperative not only to make up for lost gains but to go beyond them . Gender-based disparities compound over time . If we fail to act , and act quickly , we risk losing entire generations of women from the workforce and unraveling decades of progress .

For businesses , now is not the time to retreat from but rather double down on women-centered strategies that will lead to business recovery and growth . This includes recommitting to California ’ s Equal Pay Pledge and increasing women ’ s representation in the C-suite and on corporate boards . It also includes policies like flextime and family leave to ensure greater retention of those in dual-income families .

Women may not have all the answers , but a seat at the table and a space that is inclusive of their strengths , skills , perspectives and empathy will most certainly get us to a better place .

Dee Dee Myers is senior adviser to California Gov . Gavin Newsom and director of the Governor ’ s Office of Business and Economic Development ( GO-Biz ). Jennifer Siebel Newsom is the first partner of California , cofounder of the California Partners Project , founder of The Representation Project and a filmmaker . She wrote and directed “ Miss Representation ,” “ The Mask You Live In ” and “ The Great American Lie .”

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March 2021 | comstocksmag . com 21