A project that aims to remove barriers to women serving at executive levels of local government was discussed Wednesday at the Capitol.
The Michigan Municipal League wants to train and encourage more women to be in charge in communities statewide.
Wednesday the league launched the 16/50 Project: Driving the Force of Female Municipal Managers.
They say the working gap between men and women is more than half. "The project was created to highlight and bridge the gap between the percentage of women residing in Michigan, 50.8 percent, and the percentage of female municipal managers, a far lower 16 percent."
They plan to provide professional development opportunities and foster opportunities for a new generation of leaders to be female.
"I am eager to be a part of the 16/50 Project and the robust programs it implements in order to place more women into executive levels of local government," said Catherine Bostick-Tullius, Michigan Municipal League Board President and a Lapeer City Commissioner. "Having an accurate gender representation of women in local government will set a precedent for the state as a whole."
Dan Gilmartin, Michigan Municipal League CEO and Executive Director, said that cities need to be run and designed to meet the needs of all residents, so having women in executive positions where their voices are heard and their ideas incorporated into city decisions is crucial.
"The League wants to do everything it can to remove the barriers to more women gaining executive positions in our communities, which can only make our municipalities stronger and more inclusive," Gilmartin said.
