Washington Courts: Press Release Detail

Gender and Justice Commission hosts new Women’s Commission at Temple of Justice

The new Washington State Women’s Commission will meet at the Temple of Justice in Olympia on Jan. 28 in an outreach event for the new Commission co-sponsored by the Washington Supreme Court Gender and Justice Commission, the Interagency Committee of State Employed Women, and the United Way of Thurston County—Women United.

It will be the second meeting of the new Women’s Commission, established by state lawmakers in March of 2018, through House Bill 2759, to address issues that continue as barriers to women succeeding and thriving such as domestic violence, childcare, child support, sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, equal compensation and opportunities in employment, as well as the specific needs of women of color.

Governor Jay Inslee appointed its director, Michelle González, and the Commission members. The Commission had its inaugural meeting in Seattle in October.

The January 28th meeting and outreach event at the Temple of Justice are opportunities for other organizations working on issues affecting women to meet members of the Women’s Commission and to support a new partner.

“We are thrilled to have another ally in the wide-ranging work of understanding and addressing systemic obstacles that impact women,” said Washington Supreme Court Justice Sheryl Gordon McCloud, chair of the Gender and Justice Commission. “We very much look forward to working with the Women’s Commission to share information and insights that can help this work succeed.”

To learn more about the Women’s Commission, visit its Web site at www.wswc.wa.gov.

The Washington State Gender and Justice Commission was established by the state Supreme Court in 1994 to identify measures for preventing gender bias in the courts. The Commission followed the work of the Gender and Justice Task Force, created by the Supreme Court in 1988 to thoroughly research and identify specific gender bias in the judicial system, and to develop recommendations for addressing it.

CONTACT: Washington Supreme Court Justice Sheryl Gordon McCloud, Chair, Gender and Justice Commission, (360) 357-2046; Cynthia Delostrinos, Administrative Manager for Supreme Court Commissions, (360) 705-5327, Cynthia.Delostrinos@courts.wa.gov.