Hutchinson establishes women's commission on workforce participation

Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Thursday he is signing an executive order establishing the Commission on Status of Women in Arkansas.

Why it matters: Women are disproportionately economically disadvantaged, and the pandemic exacerbated that, especially mothers.

• Women in Arkansas earn 80% of what Arkansas men do, said Alison Williams, Hutchinson's chief of staff who will chair the commission.

Details: The purpose of the 14-person commission is to:

• Study and analyze labor force participation by women and how they were impacted by the pandemic.
• Review labor force statistics, specifically in entrepreneurship and STEM fields.
• Examine barriers to women entering the workforce, such as child care.

Zoom in: NWA's Gayatri Agnew, Bentonville City Council member, and Todd Shields, dean of the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas, will serve on the commission.

What's next: The commission will hold its first meeting next week and have a report ready by Dec. 1, Williams said during Hutchinson's news conference.