FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 29th, 2023
CONTACT:
Ben Kaplan, Communications Director
Office of Senator Susan L. Moran
Sen. Moran & State Treasurer Goldberg Host Economic Empowerment Seminar Focus on establishing financial independence for domestic violence survivors.
On Wednesday, State Senator Susan Moran (D-Falmouth) joined State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg in organizing a virtual workshop geared towards connecting women with the resources needed to reach financial independence.
The briefing was held in partnership with anti-domestic-violence advocacy group Jane Doe Inc. Participants were provided with an overview of educational programs and opportunities related to personal and family finance. The workshop was open to clients and staff of Independence House, a domestic and sexual violence advocacy center on Cape Cod.
“Providing education and resources to help women, particularly survivors of domestic violence, is a crucial step in attaining financial independence.” Said Senator Moran. “One in three women experience some form of domestic violence here in Massachusetts, and I am grateful of Treasurer Goldberg’s attention to this, especially as we wind down Women’s History Month.”
The Senator has established herself as a staunch advocate for leveling the playing field, having worked for decades on the Upper Cape as a lawyer for small businesses, owner of a real estate company, and having served in multiple capacities for municipal offices before being elected. Through this work, she has come to recognize the necessity of creating a framework of resources that allow women to focus on not only becoming employed, but attaining the skills to advance their careers.
“This direct outreach must also be coupled with broader policy changes that get at the larger picture of inequity,” Moran said. “Housing, childcare, transportation. These all, in one way or another, affect the ability of women to stay in the workforce and achieve economic stability for them and their families.”
According to the National Women’s Law Center, women in Massachusetts earn just 83 cents on the dollar compared to men. The disparity is even more apparent for women of color: 85 cents for Asian women, 62 cents for Native women, 58 cents for Black women, and 50 cents for Latina women. The Treasurer’s Office established the Economic Empowerment in 2015 to create and implement state-sponsored initiatives that teach strategies for financial success to these historically disenfranchised groups.
The office is also responsible for overseeing the work of the Wage Equality Advisory Committee, who have been tasked with tackling barriers to closing the state’s wage gap, which include access to family services, as well as the promotion of equity in career advancement opportunities.
Treasurer Goldberg created the Office of Economic Empowerment (OEE) with the goal of increasing financial stability for everyone in Massachusetts. The office works to promote programs that serve women, families, high school students, Veterans, and seniors. Its initiatives focus on closing the race and gender wage gap, racial equity, increasing access to financial education, improving college affordability, and investing in STEM careers and education.
“Today my office and I hosted the Economic Empowerment Seminar along with Senator Susan Moran and Jane Doe Inc. It was an excellent opportunity to highlight important work to ensure equality for all,” said State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg. “The resources presented along with those on our website, EqualPayMA.com, are important tools to help make confident financial decisions and in eliminating the wage gap for women across Massachusetts. When we invest knowledge in women, we empower them to invest in themselves."
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