IWL talks Equity in Action
The McCarthy Center is partnering with the Institute for Women's Leadership to talk about gender equity.
Women make about 82 cents for every dollar men make, according to USAFacts as of the second quarter of 2025.
The Institute for Women’s Leadership (IWL) is collaborating with the McCarthy Center for Entrepreneurship to host a peer-led open forum titled Equities and Action.
This will be a space to discuss and explore gender inequities in the U.S., such as this pay gap, and the role of public policy in rectifying them.
The event will be held on Thursday, Nov. 20 from 6-7p.m. in the President’s Dining Room located in Upper Gorecki at CSB.
The IWL sees this event as part of its mission to educate students on inequities prevalent in society, in the workplace, and across campuses.
“These topics are not a far-reaching fantasy but a real-world reality with very detrimental implications,” said Madison Carter, event host and IWL engagement coordinator, via email.
The event hopes to emphasize that gender inequities is not a new topic, but rather a product of the times.
“It’s not a matter of a single moment in time, but rather a culmination of moments that brought us to this discussion,” Carter said via email.
Co-event leader, Zoey Coval, sees the value in reflecting on how these inequalities have been shaped over time.
“In the United States right now, a lot of things feel out of control … and it sometimes feels as if we are moving in the wrong direction with a lot of things,” Coval said. “It’s important to talk about where we’ve been in the past with gender inequities and look at all the progress that has been made up … Reflecting on that can help us re-center our goals and move forward.”
The goal of this event is for students to engage in how they see these disparities in their own lives and not feel helpless in advocating for change.
This forum will provide a space for voices to be heard and action to be initiated.
“Discussion and learning are good, but unless action is added, not much changes,” Carter said via email.
The event leaders expect discussions to be sparked surrounding gender pay gap, maternal mortality and the criminal justice system.
Carter sees the importance of educating the public as to better prepare them to challenge these inequities and to step into the world and workforce as advocates for change.
“I hope that when people walk away from the event, they feel more informed on some inequities that they might not have known about but also feeling empowered to take steps to rectify these inequities,” Carter said via email.
The event leaders encourage students to attend this open forum due to the simple fact that this is an everyday problem affecting everyday people, and change does not happen automatically.
“The biggest thing that people misunderstand when considering gender equity is that the progress is linear and that things are constantly getting better on their own,” Carter said via email.
For those hesitant to participate in what can seem like a daunting topic to discuss, the event leaders encourage students to take the small step outside of their comfort zone by attending.
“[This step] is imperative to learning not only more about yourself and where you stand on issues but is also vital to enacting real change within the world,” Carter said via email.
Additionally, the event will be held in a relaxed atmosphere with cookies and conversations to enhance the topic’s approachability.
“Creating opportunities to discuss gender vulnerabilities in our country helps us to expand our view outside of our campuses and understand the work that needs to be done,” Coval said via email.