Toledo works to eliminate discrimination of women

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Eliminating discrimination against women has a new boost of energy thanks to new resources from the city of Toledo. New standards are being adopted and a staff member will soon be hired to look closer at solutions.

The work begins by identifying the inequities and then making sure everyone is aware of them and start that conversation for people who are not aware.

Jera’s Heavenly Sweet on Bancroft Street by the University of Toledo is a woman owned small business success story. But women locally and across the country don’t always have success when it comes to things like equal pay.

“We know that women have about 83 percent of the income of men in this city and all over the United States so we’re hoping to shorten that gap,” said Ardenia Jones Terry, Commission Member.

Toledo city council has now adopted a new code to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women although it’s not that new as the policy was first adopted by the United Nations in the late 70s.

“We’re going to first be the model, looking at our internal operations first as a city and for that I think once we have that other people will follow our example,” said Toledo City Councilwoman Tiffany Preston-Whitman, Ph.D.

A gender equity manager will be hired in the next 6 months to address issues like equal pay and work with the local commission formed to push these plans to look closer at women’s status in areas like economics, education and poverty.

“It shows commitment and the fact that there’s a permanent position in the city government I think is very important,” said Catharine Harned, President of Zonta Club of Toledo.

Equal pay will be one major goal. The key will be making sure those ideas and the implementation make their way to the private business side.

“The public, we always lead the way when you talk about the public sector so hopefully we keep pressing, we keep advocating and we kinda press onto the private sector to make moves in the right direction,” said Dr. Preston-Whitman.

An annual report will be made of what the commission finds each year

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