Colorado legislators gather to recognize International Women's Day
DENVER — Colorado’s leading women traveled from across the state to gather at the State Capitol Tuesday for a celebration of International Women's Day.
State Rep. Naquetta Ricks (D-Aurora) led the celebration. Many of the legislators were wearing red as a show of unity.
Ricks was proud that women make up a large percentage of state legislators in Colorado, but said there is still more work to be done.
“We have also never had a female Senator out of Colorado, a female governor, or a female as the mayor of the city of Denver," Ricks said, "so there are still a lot of summits that we need to climb, but I think we’re going to get there.”
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According to the most recent data from the National Conference of State Legislatures, over 40% of Colorado legislators are women, which is significantly higher than the national average (Nevada leads the way with nearly 62% of legislators being women; West Virginia is in last at about 12%).
In a statement, Colorado Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera said, "The strength and resilience of Colorado women throughout history is an inspiration today and every day as we continue the important work to promote gender equity and support women in the workforce, strengthen programs that empower young women in fields such as science, technology, education, and math (STEM), and ensure all women have access to high-quality and affordable healthcare for themselves and their families."
The United Nations officially recognized International Women's Day in 1977, but it has been celebrated since the earlier 20th century, starting with women-led labor movements in North America and Europe.
Among the women joining Ricks on the floor of the legislature was Rep. Edie Hooton (D-Boulder). Hooton praised Ricks for putting the celebration together.
“Women around the globe support each other," Hooton said. "We have very strong common bonds, we lift each other up around the continent, and we all have something very valuable to learn from each other. None of us are a product by ourselves. We are a product of all the cultures — especially in the United States — that come together to create this amazing tapestry of women of different cultures and backgrounds who all work together in a synergistic way.”
[Related: For Ukrainian refugees, International Women’s Day is ‘some kind of terrible dream’]
Ricks said her hope for young girls and women in the future is to consider getting involved with politics, a career that she admitted she never saw herself being involved in.
“I never started out trying to be a politician, but I know that politics runs all facets of our life. And what happens locally — especially in the state legislatures, in the city councils, at the school board level — is what impacts our communities and our families," Ricks said. "So I do encourage women to get involved politically, even if it’s just knocking [on] doors; if it’s just trying to inform themselves on the policies that are going to impact our lives. It’s important that we have voices in every area, in every part of society so that we are bringing the voices of our mothers, of our daughters, of our sisters to the table.”