March is Women’s History Month and during the next few weeks, there are many initiatives celebrating and highlighting the contributions of women. From tearing down barriers so women gained access to voting booths and the labor force, to women serving in Congress, leading board rooms in corporate America, and assisting in NASA’s Exploration of the Moon and Mars — women are paving the way for the next generation to succeed.
Girls and women need to know that their voices matter, they deserve a seat at the table, and are valued decision makers in their community. Celebrating Women’s History Month serves as a strong reminder to the next generation that their opportunities are limitless. This month, let us recommit to those efforts. One small way to help pay it forward that has a huge return on investment is by supporting female mentorship.
Look no further than Nevada to understand how important this is. From our elected officials, to labor unions, athletic teams and academic and business groups, Nevada women are leading the way. As the first state in the nation to have a majority-female legislature, Nevada’s women lawmakers are diverse, bipartisan and demonstrate to the rest of the country why representation matters. They stand on the shoulders of giants like Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., who before being elected to Congress was the first woman to be state Senate minority leader; Barbara Buckley, the first woman to be Assembly speaker; and the late Thalia Dondero, who was the first woman to serve on the Clark County Commission, just to name a few. Nevada has also made history by electing the first Latina, Catherine Cortez Masto, and the third female Jewish senator, Jacky Rosen to the U.S. Senate. This year marks a huge milestone, with the first woman and person of color serving as vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris. Their firsts put cracks in the glass ceiling that will inspire others to one day shatter it.
Seeing is believing. When girls and young women see people in leadership positions who are relatable to them, look like them, and come from similar backgrounds they are empowered to know they too can become a doctor, an astronaut, a CEO and even one day, president of the United States. Young people who have a mentor are 50% more likely to attend college, 78% more likely to volunteer in their community and 130% more likely to hold leadership positions.
I know this is true from my own experience. When I was a freshman in college, I volunteered on Hillary Clinton’s first presidential campaign — putting the polarizing politics of our time aside. At 18 years old, I remember being filled with inspiration seeing a woman on the national stage, and that feeling of encouragement continued when I went on to work for Titus for a decade. Those experiences ignited a lifelong passion that propelled me to be the first in my family to graduate from college, stay involved in my community, and participate in the political and policy process.
Investing in female mentorship so girls and young women are encouraged and empowered to dream big and reach for the stars is not just the right thing to do socially, it is good for the economy, too. Since the pandemic began, close to 3 million women — disproportionately Latinas and Black women — have dropped out of the workforce in the U.S. As a result of lost wages and less consumer power, an estimated $64.5 billion could be lost in economic activity.
There are many organizations in Nevada working to close the gender gap by promoting female mentorship. For college women, having a mentor is one of the greatest factors for academic success. The Women’s Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN), through research and education, has strengthened the lives of women for over two decades. WRIN’s annual NEW Leadership program brings college women from across the state together and connects them with women professionals who are leading in the career fields students are studying. This program had a profound impact on me as a UNLV student when I participated. Many of the relationships I built turned into long-lasting mentorships I still lean on today.
Million Women Mentors of Nevada is a newer organization that is also working to bridge the divide between students and mentors, specifically in the STEM fields. When children were asked to draw pictures of what they thought a scientist looked like, during a research study in 2019, girls were twice as likely to draw pictures of men in those roles; that same year women accounted for just a quarter of STEM jobs. One way for Nevada to create more STEM opportunities for girls and women is through investing in UNLV’s School of Medicine and College of Engineering buildings. Thanks to Gov. Steve Sisolak for championing these critical education causes — his leadership will lead to more academic and professional career paths in STEM for Nevada’s students, creating 8,000 high-paying jobs with an economic impact of $1.2 billion for Southern Nevada.
The future is bright, and if women stick together, help each other succeed and empower each other to lead the way, then together we can be an unstoppable force for good. This Women’s History Month, I hope you will join me in supporting female mentorship by donating your time, talent or treasure to organizations helping empower girls and women to succeed.
Lisa Levine is a board member of Women’s Research Institute of Nevada and Million Women Mentors of Nevada, and is a former member of the Nevada Board of Regents.