Episode 103: Conservative State of Mind
/“One of the male representatives from a very conservative area stood up and said, ‘We don’t need more childcare, we need to do away with the need for childcare!’ ”
Patricia Jones (photo by Andrea smardon)
“I always made it a point to sit next to Republican men. Of course most of them were so it wasn’t difficult. But I made it a point not to just sit with women, because you build relationships in that way. ”
Patricia Jones was born and raised in Utah, a state with a conservative bent and one of the highest wage gaps in the US. 60% of the population is Mormon. But belonging to a conservative faith never stopped Pat from having a family and a career, first running a business, then as a politician.
In her latest role at the Women's Leadership Institute she's on a mission to raise the status of women at work and in public life in Utah. And that means persuading a lot of pale males that it's a good idea.
You can also read a transcript of the show.
Thanks to Andrea Smardon for taping Pat's side of the conversation in Salt Lake City.
Further reading:
Gender Equality Isn't Political - See Utah for Proof by Patricia Jones, published in Fast Company.
Facts about Women in Utah - from the Utah Department of Workforce Services
Since When is Being a Woman a Liberal Cause? by Susan Chira, the New York Times.