General Federation of Women's Clubs Represented at United State of Women Summit

From the General Federation of Women's Clubs:

General Federation of Women's Clubs president-elect Sheila E. Shea of Marlbourough was honored to represent the organization at the first-ever United State of Women Summit on Tuesday, June 14, hosted by the White House. Shea was among the 17 GFWC representatives led by GFWC International President Babs J. Condon at the summit, which celebrated achievements made by women and girls, and discussed the progress that is still needed to reach full gender equality.

“As a 126-year-old women’s volunteer organization, GFWC was proud to have a seat at the table and join influential women as we celebrated the strides we have made,” Condon said. “We were truly inspired by the lessons learned at this historical event, and will apply what we learned to our work in communities across the world.”

At the summit, GFWC leaders heard from President Barack Obama, who spoke about the powerful women who paved the way for women’s rights today. Lilly Ledbetter, a GFWC member from Alabama, also spoke at the summit. Ledbetter, who found out she was making less than men for performing the same job, is the namesake of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This bill was the first signed into law when President Obama took office and aims to prevent pay discrimination based on gender.

As a leader in the fight to end domestic violence, the remarks delivered by Vice President Joe Biden reminded GFWC of the importance of its work, especially through its signature project, domestic violence awareness and prevention. Vice President Biden, who introduced the Violence Against Women Act in 1990, spoke about the need to end rape culture and sexual assault.

GFWC was inspired to have a presence in this room among so many strong and influential women. Clubwomen heard from administration officials including Valerie Jarret, senior advisor to the president and chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls, and Tina Tchen, chief of staff to the First Lady and executive director of the White House Council on Women and Girls. Other prominent speakers included Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Billy Jean King, General Lori Robinson and Warren Buffett. The summit also included discussion between First Lady Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey. 

“GFWC is proud to have a legacy of standing up for women, and will continue to open doors to equality,” Condon said. “This summit reminded us that we must continue to advocate for issues impacting women and girls.”