March is Women’s History Month, dedicated to honoring women’s accomplishments while also drawing attention to the challenges they still face. Earlier this month the Erie County Commission on the Status of Women, the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, and numerous community stakeholders held a virtual kickoff event recognizing Women’s History Month in Erie County.

Throughout the month there will be various events taking place virtually to discuss women’s history and issues, provide online business networking opportunities, and bring women and girls together in a safe and socially distanced environment for social interaction to engage in open and honest discussions on numerous topics. These events provide ways to affirm all that we are doing to promote women’s interests locally, something that my administration has been focused on since I was first elected as your County Executive. I encourage readers to learn more about the events scheduled to take place by visiting https://www2.erie.gov/csw/ .

Despite the global pandemic and the obvious obstacles that it has created, my administration continues to work aggressively on women’s issues in Erie County. We cannot forget that there are still challenges in our society women continue to attempt to overcome to achieve equality. One of these is pay inequality, an insidious form of discrimination that still exists in 2021 and continues to deprive hard-working women of compensation equal to that of their male counterparts. I continue to advocate for women on this front. Equal pay for equal work was the mandate behind an executive order I signed in 2014 that requires contractors with Erie County must certify that they provide equal pay between genders. I firmly believe that commitment should be embraced and enforced by all businesses to help properly demonstrate their own resolve to treat all employees equally. It is unconscionable that our mothers, sisters, wives, and daughters still face pay discrimination. Women are workers and breadwinners who provide for themselves and their families. They deserve to have their voices heard in the call for fair pay.

I invite everyone to take some time this month to celebrate the contributions women have made to Erie County and recognize the specific achievements women have made over the course of our nation’s history in various walks of life. Women have played a vital role in America and it is important that we all become educated on women’s history.