Press Release  State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg Hosts Last 2021 EqualPayMA Roundtable

Boston — In December, State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg’s Office of Economic Empowerment (OEE) hosted the final event in their 2021 EqualPayMA Roundtable series, the Future of Pay Equity for MA & Beyond. This program focused on pay equity progress (or lack thereof) in Massachusetts and nationally. The December 16th webinar wrapped up a yearlong series that provided in-depth analysis on the structural obstacles women face across industries and identities throughout their professional lives. Panelists in each event highlighted concrete policies, workplace practices, and individual actions that we can all take and advocate for in order to close the racial and gender wage gap.

Each of the eight events in this series covered different intersections of women, identity, and job industry: Mothers, Latinas, Black Women, AAPI women, Women in the restaurant business, LGBTQ+ individuals, among many others. Viewers were able to listen to and interact with slates of distinguished women leaders and experts from communities across Massachusetts. Recordings for all these events can be found on the Office of Economic Empowerment YouTube channel: 2021 EqualPayMA Roundtables.

“Women, especially women of color, have faced the harshest economic consequences during this pandemic,” said Alayna Van Tassel, Executive Director of the Office of Economic Empowerment. “This series has brought leaders together to analyze the inequal job and income losses women are experiencing in Massachusetts and propose policy solutions to reverse and recover these losses.”

“This series offered candid conversations on where we currently are with the inequities women face, in particular women of color and the necessary and important work ahead,” said Celia J. Blue, CEO & President of the Massachusetts Women of Color Coalition. “In addition, this series offered practical advice, offered real solutions by sharing best practices of the work that is being done and empowered women to take action.”

“These conversations are vital spaces for us to identify and spotlight the obstacles working women face right now,” said Denella Clark, Chair of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women. “Alongside the Office of Economic Empowerment, we are fiercely advocating for a more just and equitable economy for Massachusetts’ women and people of color.”

This year, the Office of Economic Empowerment will be releasing a report on the findings and proposed policy solutions that came out of this series. This report will be featured on OEE’s Equal Pay website and will be the catalyst for the 2022 series, which will be geared towards the business community.

The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women and the Massachusetts Women of Color Coalition were co-hosts throughout the entire EqualPayMA Roundtable series and were instrumental in making each of these events happen.

About the Office of Economic Empowerment
Treasurer Goldberg created the Office of Economic Empowerment, led by a deputy treasurer, with the deliberate goal of implementing a range of economic empowerment initiatives that include closing the race and gender wage gap, addressing racial equity, increasing access to financial education, improving college affordability, and investing in STEM careers and education.

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