JACKSON, Miss.- A luncheon was held May 6 in honor of Mississippi women making a difference in their communities.
The “Women of the Year” have contributed in many special ways in their fields. This year’s theme was called “Harder in Heels”.
Meridian native and actress Sela Ward, the Commission’s Ambassador of the Year, gave a special message to the “Harder in Heels” working women. These women were honored for art, community service, business, education, law, medicine, military and law enforcement, and government service.
Gloria Williamson Chair Commission on the status of women in Mississippi said, “Every year we conduct a hearing to bring in all the state agencies to ask them about the status of women. The two fields we know we need more women in, is medicine and engineering.”
Williamson said education, women’s health, child care, domestic violence and the economy are all issues that people face in Mississippi today so they especially want to honor women making a difference in these categories.
Their goal is to reach out to women to let them know they are just as capable as men to do many jobs women don’t have a large presence in.
“We only have nine women out of 509 troopers, only nine! Why don’t we have more than that? It’s a mindset that needs to change.” Williamson said, “We do this luncheon so women can know that they can do this and men need to appreciate it. Women have come a long, long way, but we still have a long way to go.”
