Women and the economy : the next ten years : creating an agenda for Massachusetts

48 Pages·1994·2.9 MB·English

by  Bay State Skills Corporation

^Ten Years
CREATEVG AN AGEIVDA
FOR MASSACHUSETTS
Prepared by Bay State Skills Corporation
Center for Women, Work, and Family
Digitized by the Internet Archive
2015
in
https://archive.org/details/wonienecononiynextOObays
Women
ANDTHE
Economy:
THE NEXT
Ten
Years
Creating an Agenda
FOR Massachusetts
A FutureSearch Conference
March 13-15, 1994
ConferenceReport, EconomicAgenda,
andRecommendedAction Steps
Preparedby
Bay State SkillsCorporation
CenterforWomen, Work, and Family
THE MIND MAP
e creation ofa mindmap (reproducedas the
backdfvpforthecoverofthisreport) isa centralelement
ofafituresearch conferenceandagraphicrepresenta-
tion ofthe conferenceprocess to discover ''common
ground."Afterallthestakeholdergroupshada chance
toanalyze the role ofwomen in theMassachusetts
economyfrom 1964 to thepresent, ive began this
collective exercise to establish the keyfactor'sthatform
theaitTCfitrealityaroundthe theme 'Women i?i the
PresentEconomy." Workingtogether, andfrom this
theme, theparticipants "mapped"apaper-coveredwall
a?id, eventually, createdthiscomplexpicture ofthe
economicenvironmentin which thestakeholdersagreed
thatwomen exist today. The mindmap comprisedover
a hundredelements, includinga multi-trillion dollar
nationaldebt, women assingle headsofhouseholds, the
lack ofajfordabledaycare, thefeminization ofpoveity,
andcorporatedownsizing. Itbecamean instantrefer-
encepointforthe data thatresultedfrom the knowledge
andexperience oftheconferenceparticipants. More
importantly, the map representedourcollective view; it
became thefoundation on which we builta common
vision ofwhatwecouldandshoulddo to ensurea
positivefutureforwomen in the economy ofMassachu-
setts. (Seepage 6forafiinherdiscussion ofthemind
mapVsignificance to the conference.)
Contents
Preface iii
Executive Summary v
I: The Past 1
11: The Present 5
III: The Future 15
rV' An Economic Agenda and Recommended Action Steps 21
:
Appendix A
Conference Planning Committee 25
Appendix B
Conference Participants 26
Appendix C
Steering and Report Review Committees 28
D
Appendix
Address to theParticipants
Secretary ofEconomicAffairs Gloria Cordes Larson 31

BSSC
BayStateSkillsCorporation
May 1994
The changes in the labor market over the last thirt\'years have been profound. Not the least among
these has been the growth ofwomen's economic participation. Sometimes for reasons ofchoice, some-
times from economic necessity, more and more women have entered the world ofjobs and work, with
major impacts on the economy, individualworkplaces, and almost every family.
The pace ofeconomic change seems, ifanything, to be accelerating. Technological advances, reorga-
—
nization ofw^orking routines, and changes in corporate structure are the stuffofdaily news exhilarating
for some, frightening for others. The implications for women are enormous.
The sLxt}-plus people who met in Massachusetts in March were determined to identify both challenges
and opportunities forwomen to contribute to the economy ofour state, while simultaneously considering
—
howa healthyand thriving economy ought to contribute to the well-being ofall people whether as
employees, citizens, ormembers offamilies. This conference was not one that involved "experts talking
to each other," although, to be sure, a great deal ofexpertise was present. Instead, this was a "search
—
conference" a coming together ofinterested friends, colleagues, and others committed to developing a
common agenda and call for action. We wanted not simply to understand whatwas happening in the
economy and to and for women, but rather to decide what action we might take together, in the Com-
monwealth ofMassachusetts, now or soon.
Working together, the group concluded thatsmall, incremental improvements on the status quo were
useful, but insufficient; we need, instead, to viewwomen and the economy from a fundmentally different
perspective. We need to thinkofwomen and families as resources, not as liabilities and limitations to
economic health. We need to come to understand that people are the reason we quest for a healthy
economy, not the barriers to that ambition. We need to remember that health and the pursuit ofhappi-
—
ness are the end goals ofa democratic society the ambitions themselves, not merely the by-products of
economic endeavor.
Ours was not a dreaming group, although dreams were freely expressed. Rather itwas a highly practi-
cal, even politically sophisticated group that was prepared to make recommendations and back them up
with concrete steps. Some ofthe steps recommended may be taken by the legislature, others by individual
organizations represented at the conference; still others will require joint action. For our part. Bay State
Skills Corporation is prepared to offer concrete initiatives in workpreparation and adjustment for first-
time job entrants, for women re-entering the labor force, and for those presentlyworkingwho are af-
fected by the changes in the economy. We have some ideas about how to develop such efforts through
our Center forWomen, Work, and Family, and we recieved manynew ideas from this search conference.
The agenda is still forming, and readers ofthis report ought to consider this time as an opportunity to
— —
have input. We commend this report and, more importantly, the agenda that it helps to launch to
your active consideration.
Erik Payne Butler
President
iii

Summary
Executive
Ow
societyandtheworkplacearechanging. Thegoaloftheconferenceandoftheconference reportisto
harness thepowerthatisdrivingthistransfomiation. Workingtogetheroverthe next tenyears, wecan
use thispowerto ensure thatwomen andthework that theydocontinuesto enhance theworkplace, the
family, andthecommunity. The resultofoureffortswillbea healthiereconomyforthe Commonwealth
ofMassachusetts.
—
JVomenandtheEconomy: TheNext Ten Years CreatinganAgendaforMassachusettsis a first-ever effort
to enhance economic development in the state by putting together a pro-active agenda for women to
improve their standing in the economy. For too long, services to women needing assistance in the job
market have been made available onlyafterthey are on welfare, afterthey have become unemployed, after
they have been abused, orafterthey have become homeless. From March 13 to 15, 1994, Bay State Skills
Corporation (BSSC) and its Center forWomen, Work, and Family(CWWF) sponsored this conference
to help develop an agenda that puts women and their families in charge oftheir destinies.
For some women, it is the lackofcareer information and guidance that keeps them from becoming
\'iable participants in the economy. For others, it is the lack ofsupport services, such as adequate and —
affordable dependent (child and elder) care and transportation. But for most, it is the workplace i—tself
with its inflexible workhours, poor benefits, low pay, and lack ofadequate retirement provisions that
keeps women from making their optimum contributions to the economy.
Using the strategic planning model called a "future search conference," this economic development
effort involved key stakeholders in the Massachusetts economy. They represented advocacy groups,
business and industry, education, government agencies, the legislature, private/nonprofit groups, and
—
workingwomen paid and unpaid. Theirjoint goalswere to develop a common view ofthe future for
the economyofMassachusetts and to create an agenda for women that helps build that economy.
A Future Search Conference
A
future search conference is task-focused; instead ofbringing in "experts" to guide the discussions
toward preconceived goals, the process relies on the knowledge, expertise, and experience ofthe partici-
pants, who work in and can change systems. The only predetermined conference goals were to create a
consensus, affirming the Commonwealth's commitment to: (1) forge an economic agenda that includes
the women ofMassachusetts, (2) establish a coordinated set ofaction plans, and (3) set up a collaborative
statewide networkofservices to ensure the integrity ofthose commitments.
During the conference, participants completed a series ofstructured activities that developed a
foundation ofcommon information about the past, present, and future for women in the economy ofthe
Commonwealth. Our primary concerns were to find ways to take advantage ofthis information and of
the power behind the changes that are ongoing in our society. Ifwe can harness this momentum for
change, we can improve the economic situation for women and their families. Thus, we focused on
creating an agenda and determining the action steps necessary to realizing our planned improvements.
To guide ouranalysis ofthe past, present, and future ofwomen in the economy, we asked the following:
The Past
• WTiat factors and forces have shaped the economy and what have been our individual and professional
roles in that economy since 1965?
• WTiat defined our economic and personal stakes in the Commonwealth?
• What experiences did we have in common?
ExecutiveSummary V
Present
• What shapes the successes or challenges forwomen in the workforce today?
• What is our response to those influences?
Future
• How do our perceptions contribute to a common view ofthe future forwomen that encompasses
thediversity' ofour experiences and interests?
• Can we articulate a future scenario in which we can all participate?
Our answers to these questions formed a database ofexperience and interests, creating a compre-
hensive list ofthe forces shapingthe present and future climate. From this base, we moved to define a
commonvision for the future ofwomen in the economy ofMassachusetts.
The Outcomes
—
e participants in WomenandtheEconomy: TheNextTen Years CreatinganAgendaforMassachusetts
created an oudine ofourcommonvision ofthe future,which includes ourcomprehensive agenda and our
We
practical goals. collectivelyclaim ownership ofthis agenda, and we will strive to make ita reality.
This report, reviewed by a volunteer subcommittee ofthe conference participants, provides three
kinds ofinformation. First, the report gives those not in attendance a glimpse into the quality and
depth ofthe thoughtand data generated during those three days. Second, it identifies the keypriorities
and concerns that are shaping our economy and affecting the issues ofimportance to women.
And finally, it describes our agenda and the action steps to implement this agenda in order to take
control ofthe sweeping changes that are taking place in the Massachusetts economyand the effects that
these changes have on women as participants and players in this economy. It is our hope and expecta-
tion that, with a growing understanding ofthe influence ofwomen by the conference participants and
others who become a part ofthis economic development effort, this documentwill serve as a guide to
recognizing and enhancing the role ofwomen in the economy and the contributions that they bring to
an evolving workplace.
An Economic Agenda for Women
To
create a healthy economythat exists to support all ofthe people ofthe Commonwealth, we
propose the following agenda. Together, we will:
1. Transform the political and policymaking processes to acknowledge and respond to the diversity of
voices in the Commonwealth.
2. Transform and adapt the structure and environment ofthe workplace to respond to the changing
characteristics ofthe Commonwealth's workforce.
3. Transform the access route to employment so that all in the Commonwealthwho want paid em-
ploymentcanworkwith dignityat a livingwage.
4. Transform the Commonwealth's education and trainingsystems to create a bridge between the
needs ofthe workforce and the needs ofthe workplace and to customize the response to the needs
ofwomen in the workplace.
5. Transform the economyofthe Commonwealth from one that exists to support business to one that
exists to support people and from one that ignores "women's" issues to one thatworks to solve them
because they are "family" issues.
Byworking collaboratively, we will meet our goal: a healthy economy thatsupports and includes
the well-being ofthe citizens ofthe Commonwealth ofMassachusetts.
vi WomenandtheEconomy: TheNextTen Years