Equal Pay Day in Delaware: Delaware Women Leaders Ask for Support

On Tuesday, March 24, 2015, a House Concurrent Resolution will be introduced in the General Assembly to affirm that equal pay for women matters to the people of Delaware. Sponsoring the Resolution in the House are House Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst and Representative Stephanie T. Bolden; in the Senate, the sponsors are Senate Majority Whip Margaret Rose Henry and Senator Nicole Poore.

Prior to the introduction of the Resolution, representatives of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Delaware and the Delaware Commission for Women, along with the sponsoring state legislators, will convene at 1:15 pm in the Senate Hearing Room on the second floor of Legislative Hall to discuss the issues involved. The press and general public are welcome to attend.

This event in Dover is a prelude to national Equal Pay Day, which occurs this year on April 14 – a date symbolic of the point in the new year to which a woman must work in order to earn the wages paid to a man in the previous year. On that date, thousands of women across the United States will join forces to highlight pay inequity.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, Delaware women who work fulltime earn on average just 83% of what men who work fulltime earn. These numbers are even starker when minority groups are directly compared. African-American women living in Delaware earn 67 cents per every dollar that white men earn. Hispanic women earn just 56 cents per dollar. With women carrying so much of the economic burden of supporting their families, the harm of such a wage gap can be clearly seen.

Those attending the activities in Dover, as well as those unable to be there, are asked to show their support for equal pay by learning more about the impact of the wage gap, by supporting efforts to eliminate that gap, and by wearing red on Tuesday, March 24, to symbolize how far women are “in the red” with their pay.


Deadline for Submission of Nominations for the 2014 Hall of Fame of Delaware Women is November 29

2014 Nomination Form-nid

The Delaware Commission for Women is seeking public nominations of women for induction into the Hall of Fame of Delaware Women. The Hall of Fame showcases women who have made significant contributions in their field of endeavor inclusive of professional and volunteer careers, and whose impact is made locally, nationally or internationally.

Nominees must be native-born Delawareans or have resided in the state for at least ten years and can be posthumously nominated. A selection committee receives and reviews all nominations then collaboratively and impartially determines the 2014 inductees.

The 2014 inductees will be honored at the 33rd Annual Hall of Fame of Delaware Women Award Ceremony and Reception on March 27, 2014, joining a prestigious group of 124 women from Sussex, Kent and New Castle Counties.

To ensure a fair process, the simple guidelines and instructions must be followed and submitted on the form provided. Nominations must be received by the Delaware Commission for Women by November 29, 2013. Copies of the nomination form can be obtained on Internet at: http://commissionforwomen.delaware.gov/pdfs/2014NominationForm.pdf. Questions regarding the nomination process can be forwarded to: carmen.gomez@delaware.gov.

The Hall of Fame of Delaware Women was established in 1981 by the Delaware Commission for Women. Since its inception, more than 120 women have been inducted and its distinguished list includes names of women from a variety of backgrounds such as sports, medicine, public service, and civil rights—all of which are commonly associated with acts of heroism, excellence and perseverance.

Among its members are Annie Jump Cannon, a Dover native who developed a system for classifying stars at Harvard University which is still in use today; Mary Ann Shadd Cary, who became the first African-American publisher in North America, second African-American female to earn a law degree, and the first to cast a vote in a general election; as well as Margaret Irving Handy, a Smyrna native, first native-born female Delawarean to become a doctor, Delaware’s first pediatrician, and who was one of the first doctors to specialize in pediatric medicine.


The Delaware Commission for Women is Accepting Nominations for the 2014 Hall of Fame of Delaware Women

The Delaware Commission for Women is seeking public nominations of women for induction into the Hall of Fame of Delaware Women. The Hall of Fame showcases women who have made significant contributions in their field of endeavor inclusive of professional and volunteer careers, and whose impact is made locally, nationally or internationally.

Nominees must be native-born Delawareans or have resided in the state for at least ten years and can be posthumously nominated. A selection committee receives and reviews all nominations then collaboratively and impartially determines the 2014 inductees.

The 2014 inductees will be honored at the 33rd Annual Hall of Fame of Delaware Women Award Ceremony and Reception during Women’s History Month in March of 2014, joining a prestigious group of 124 women from Sussex, Kent and New Castle Counties.

To ensure a fair process, the simple guidelines and instructions must be followed and submitted on the form provided. Nominations must be received by the Delaware Commission for Women by November 29, 2013. Copies of the nomination form can be obtained on Internet at: http://commissionforwomen.delaware.gov/pdfs/2014NominationForm.pdf. Questions regarding the nomination process can be forwarded to: carmen.gomez@delaware.gov.

The Hall of Fame of Delaware Women was established in 1981 by the Delaware Commission for Women. Since its inception, more than 120 women have been inducted and its distinguished list includes names of women from a variety of backgrounds such as sports, medicine, public service, and civil rights—all of which are commonly associated with acts of heroism, excellence and perseverance.

Among its members are Annie Jump Cannon, a Dover native who developed a system for classifying stars at Harvard University which is still in use today; Marry Ann Shadd Cary, who became the first African-American publisher in North America, second African-American female to earn a law degree, and the first to cast a vote in a general election; as well as Margaret Irving Handy, a Smyrna native, first native-born female Delawarean to become a doctor, Delaware’s first pediatrician, and who was one of the first doctors to specialize in pediatric medicine.

Contact: Romona S. Fullman at (302) 577-5287 or romona.fullman@delaware.gov, Delaware Commission for Women.

2014 Nomination Form


Four Delaware Women to Be Honored at March 21 Event

Four women will be honored March 21, 2013 at the 32nd Annual Hall of Fame of Delaware Women at the Hilton Christiana Hotel in Newark.

The inductees for 2013 are: Beatrice “Bebe” Coker, an advocate for civil rights, the arts and education; Patricia Maichle, an advocate for persons with disabilities and addictions; Dr. Wilma Mishoe, an accomplished educator and community organizer; and the Honorable Jane Richards Roth, a distinguished Federal judge and former courtroom litigator. These women’s purpose-filled lives have made a significant difference in our communities and our state.

The public is invited to join Governor Jack Markell (invited), First Lady Carla Markell and the Delaware Commission for Women in celebrating these inductees and recognizing Women’s History Month.

Nominated by individuals and organizations from throughout the State, inductees were selected based on what has made them remarkable in their field, their reputation, the significance of their work, obstacles they had to overcome, and their leadership. Honorees are native-born Delawareans or have resided in the state for at least ten years. To date, 125 women have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The 2013 Celebration of the Hall of Fame of Delaware Women will begin with heavy hors d’oeuvres and cash bar at 5:30 p.m. The award presentations will begin at 6:30 p.m. A dessert reception will be held at 7:30 p.m. The cost is $40 per person. Credit card payments can be made online here. For more information, please contact the Delaware Commission for Women at (302) 577-5287.