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Women’s Group Asks New Governor For Gender Equity
< < Back toCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) – A West Virginia women’s group is asking Gov.-elect Jim Justice for gender equity on the state’s boards and commissions.
Justice’s incoming administration will work with a state legislature made up of 116 men and 18 women, or about 13 percent. That marks the lowest percentage of women in the Legislature since 1984.
However, the West Virginia Women’s Commission says if Justice appoints 50 percent women to the boards and commissions the governor is responsible for filling, he will take a step toward solving that problem and ensuring those appointments better reflect their constituents.
Gov. Earl Tomblin’s spokeswoman Jessica Tice says Tomblin made 1,904 appointments, including 566 women to boards and commission as of Dec. 1. That’s almost 30 percent.