Celebrating Equal Pay Day and International Women's Day
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 6 hours ago
On March 6, 2026, State leaders recognized National Equal Pay Day and International Women’s Day on Friday at the Capitol.
The event was held in the Capitol’s North Lobby, brought together state leaders and business advocates committed to advancing economic opportunity for women. Hosted by Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz, the program featured remarks from State Senator Mae Flexer, Women’s Business Development Council Business Advisor Sherry Konwerski, and Untapped Potential's Founder, Candace Freedenberg, and Governor Ned Lamont.
Candace was honored to participate in support of International Women's Day celebrated on Sunday, March 8th, 2026. For Untapped Potential, the invitation represented an important opportunity to bring attention to a group that is often invisible in economic policy conversations: caregivers navigating career gaps.
Capitol News Briefing on National Equal Pay Day and International Women's Day with Governor Lamont, Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz (Video Credit: The Connecticut Network)
The Lieutenant Governor kicked off the press conference highlighting the theme of this year's International Women's Day, "Give to Gain".
Give To Gain emphasizes the power of reciprocity and support. When people, organizations, and communities give generously, opportunities and support for women increase. Giving is not a subtraction, it's intentional multiplication. When women thrive, we all rise. #IWD2026
Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz shared a powerful way to see the gender pay gap by showing how it shapes a woman’s entire career. Because of ongoing pay disparities, particularly Black women would need to work until age 90, Native women until 95, and Latinas until 103 to match the lifetime earnings a white man reaches by age 60. These lost years mean lost savings, lost security, and fewer opportunities for women and their families.
“When we contribute to the advancement of women through knowledge, through training, through education, mentoring, leadership, and infrastructure, women thrive,” Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz said.
Because policies and political leadership shape these inequalities, increasing the number of women in public office remains an important step toward addressing them.
State Senator Mae Flexer encouraged more women to run for office and help increase female representation in the Connecticut state legislature, which currently stands at 37%. She explained that women often need to be asked seven to fifteen times before they seriously consider running.
"So, to every women listening, consider this your ask, one, ask two, ask three to step forward for public service. Consider this your ask one through 15. Please consider because the only way we're going to change is if more people, more women step up and raise their hand", said State Senator Mae Flexor
At the same time, many women also respond to economic inequality by creating opportunities through entrepreneurship.
Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) spokesperson, Sherry Konwerski, further noted that in response to this system, many women are innovating by starting their own businesses to take control of their financial futures, with women now owning nearly 40% of all businesses in the United States
"Equal payday reminds us that the wage gap is still very real. For many women, the gap just isn't a statistic. It is affects their ability to support their families and to achieve long-term financial stability"
Recognizing that CARING is THE "Work" that Makes All Other Work Possible
In her remarks, Candace spoke about the essential role caregiving plays in our economy and why return-to-work pathways are increasingly important for families, businesses, and the workforce at large.
“Care work—paid, underpaid, and unpaid—is the work that makes all other work possible.”
From raising children to caring for aging parents, caregiving responsibilities are a growing part of working life in the United States. Candace pointed out a significant societal disconnect: while women have been told for decades they "can be anything," the "fabric of society," including schools and workplaces, has remained designed for an era where workers had 24/7 support at home.
With three out of four people eventually needing to navigate caregiving alongside work, she emphasized that this is no longer just a "women's issue" but a demographic shift affecting all workers and employers.
Modern technology has also created new obstacles. AI-driven screening and digital hiring tools often "filter out" highly educated, accomplished professionals, such as engineers, marketers, and financial analysts, simply because they have a career gap due to caregiving.
To address this, Candace advocated for a "different door" for re-entering the workforce. Through Untapped Potential, she is focused on reigniting these careers by providing "skill-up" opportunities in high-growth fields like data analytics, cybersecurity, and AI.
The press conference highlighted the significance of Equal Pay Day, which marks how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned the previous year. Combined with International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, the moment offered an opportunity to reflect on both progress and the work still ahead.
For Candace, the connection between caregiving and workplace equity is clear.
“When talented professionals are kept out of the workforce because of outdated systems or assumptions, our entire economy loses.”
State Representative Cristin McCarthy Vahey captured well the dilemma of dual responsibility of caregiving and career with her personal story. Even with a master's degree, societal structures did not support her career potential.
Video Credit: The Connecticut Network (full video above)
"It was going to cost me more to pay for childcare than what I would be paid as a full-time worker.", State Rep. Christin McCarthy Vahey.
Reflecting on Candace's highlight of how care work is often underpaid, Governor Lamont reflected on how unfair it has been that some careers were labeled “male” and others “female,” with female careers often paid less because they were considered supplemental.
These long-standing inequalities remind us that women’s contributions matter every single day. Recognizing their value is the first step toward fair treatment, respect, and real change for the work women do.
Following the press conference, speakers posed with additional State Representatives as well as youth leaders in attendance. It was great to have our next generation of women leaders in the room.
We are grateful to Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz, Governor Ned Lamont, Senator Mae Flexer, and the Women’s Business Development Council for elevating these issues and creating space for this important conversation.
