Leading the march, Lawton praises local women during WW=P conference

By Heather Schaefer

Rhinelander Daily News Staff - October 29, 2005

What comes to mind when you think of the women’s movement. Does your mind conjure up images of burning bras and certain folk singers? Do you picture a scene circa sometime in the 1970s, when women with long hair swayed in the wind while chanting in support of the Equal Rights Amendment?

Now picture this, a gathering of women of every age and persuasion, some in business suits and others in jeans, crowded into the local Holiday Inn, listening to a song with roots in the age of Aquarius and talking about good jobs, fair wages, affordable childcare, quality healthcare, and how to find a seat at the head of the table at government meetings.

You’ve just glimpsed the Wisconsin Women Equal Prosperity (WW=P) regional conference held at the Rhinelander Holiday Inn Saturday.

Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton provided the conference’s keynote address as well as a call to arms.

Lawton told her audience there are many who believe gender inequality is no longer an issue in 2005 and others who believe women should be satisfied with the gains already made.

Nothing could be further from the truth, she said. “The status quo,” said the highest-ranking woman in state government, “is more dangerous than launching into the future.”

Lawton praised the local women who organized the conference for daring to take a step forward and providing an example for other communities.

“The women of northern Wisconsin are already on the march, leading the way for women across the state,” she said.

Lawton, who once lived on a farm, said she has a keen awareness of the unique challenges faced by women living in rural areas.

“There’s a sense of isolation, a sense of distance from opportunities, when you know all that you are capable of,” she said.

Lawton encouraged rural women to embrace the digital world as a conduit to opportunities that seem out of grasp.

“There is a hotbed of creative thought here and the world is wide open,” she said.

To be successful, women must also learn to lift each other up.

Quoting former secretary of state Madeline Albright, Lawton said “there’s a special place in hell for women who don’t support other women.”

Finally, Lawton said all women can take pride in the achievements of the select few who have broken barriers by winning Nobel prizes and traveling to space, but the lives of ordinary women must be prosperous before victory can be claimed.

Prosperity, she said, is defined as follows: “To be able to house, clothe, and feed our families, to have access to healthcare and educational opportunities, and to have a measure of extra capital left to make a contribution to our communities.”

“When we have something to give we feel prosperous,” she added.