New York Regional Office Celebrates Women's History Month 2013

ABOUT WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

Women's History Month had its origins as a national celebration in 1981 when Congress passed Pub. L. 97-28 which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as "Women's History Week." Throughout the next five years, Congress continued to pass joint resolutions designating a week in March as "Women's History Week." In 1987 after being petitioned by the National Women's History Project, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 which designated the month of March 1987 as "Women's History Month." Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Women's History Month. Since 1995, Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as "Women's History Month."

WOMEN BY NUMBERS

5,930: The number of female employees at HUD as of September 2006, representing 60% of HUD's entire workforce of 9,813 employees.

158.3 million: The number of females in the U.S. in 2011. The number of males was 153.3 million.

57.7%: Percentage of females 16 and older who participated in the labor force, representing about 72.6 million women in 2012.

$37,118: The median annual earnings of women 15 or older who worked year-round, full time in 2011. In comparison, the median annual earnings of men were $48,202.

0.77: The female-to-male earnings ratio in 2011. The number of men and women with earnings who worked year-round in 2011 was not statistically different from the ratio in 2010.

INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN OF HUD SPOTLIGHT

 Andrea H. Hodge, HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST

Andrea is a longtime activist working within federal agencies and her community. She is a real-life example of the George Eliot quote, "[i]t is never too late to be what you might have been." She overcame her own reservations about starting college at the age of 44 and went on to earn a Master's Degree in Social Work and recently earned her certification as a John Maxwell Leadership Trainer, Life Coach and Mentor. Andrea is motivated by a desire to add value to the lives of others and to help others "move from a place of challenge to a place of hope, accomplishment and eventual empowerment." Andrea inspires others through her ability to change perceptions and give hope to her community and HUD. Her advice to other women at HUD is to "learn how to be a leader - choose to lead, and it will allow you to positively impact many lives."

 Lisa Lockley, CPD REPRESENTATIVE

Lisa has been studying American Sign Language (ASL) since 1998. In 2011, while working full-time, she received an Associate Degree in Deaf Studies from LaGuardia Community College. She is training to become a certified ASL interpreter for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals. She volunteers with several organizations that provide services and advocacy for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals, including the New York City Black Deaf Advocates (NYCBDA) and the National Action Network's House of Justice Deaf Club. Lisa also visits St. Ann's Church for the Deaf regularly to socialize with members. She is motivated by the opportunity to help others and is a firm believer in the words of Socrates - "[t]he unexamined life is not worth living." Her advice to women at HUD is to communicate with colleagues, ask questions, be resourceful, personalize your space and establish a peaceful work environment.

###