Lawton to discuss women and prosperity project

Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton will report on her Wisconsin Women = Prosperity project on Thursday, Jan. 27.

Her presentation is one of a series of colloquia that are part of Wisconsin Women = Prosperity, a nonpartisan, statewide initiative that Lawton directs. The program works to improve the status of women and to drive economic growth for Wisconsin by increasing women’s success.

More than 700 women in the state participate in the project, which is compiling narrative data about issues women face in their personal and professional development, and on what can help them succeed. The information was gathered online and at 10 forums attended by women of all ages at libraries, universities and community centers throughout Wisconsin.

The second speaker in the spring portion of the series is Dr. Gloria Sarto, who will address the health, safety and well-being of Wisconsin women. Her presentation is Thursday, Feb. 24. Beloit College political science professor Georgia Duerst-Lahti will present Thursday, April 28. The speaker for March 31 will be announced later. All presentations are 4-5 p.m. at the Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St. A reception follows each talk.

The Wisconsin Women = Prosperity has its roots in The Status of Women in the States, a biennial state-by-state comparison co-published by the Women’s Fund of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and the Institute for Women’s Policy Research in Washington, D.C. In 2002, the report gave Wisconsin an overall grade of C-minus for the quality of life for women in the state.

The colloquia are sponsored by the Joint Center for Public Policy and the Status of Women, an effort of the Women’s Studies Research Center and the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs.

For information about the event, contact Terry Shelton, (608) 262-3038, shelton@lafollette.wisc.edu. For more information visit the Wisconsin Women = Prosperity Project’s Web site.