MORE WOMEN Gov. Lincoln Chafee looks on Tuesday as Cheryl Burrell (left), Marcia Cone and Susan Farmer note the number of women that he has added to his staff, cabinet and state boards and commissions. Photo by Steve Klamkin WPRO News

Group credits Chafee for adding women to government

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Posted: 7/17/2012 5:33:11 PM
Updated: 7/17/2012 5:48:54 PM

A new report finds Rhode Island and its governor are making gains in bringing more women into state government. 

The Women's Fund of Rhode Island says that Governor Lincoln Chafee has kept his pledge to increase the number of women in senior government positions, and on state boards and commissions.

In a report issued on Tuesday called "Every Woman Counts", the group said that since taking office in January, 2011, of the 622 appointed to boards and state commissions, Chafee named 269 women, or 43%.  That brings the total percentage of women on what it called influential boards and commissions to 33%, up from 15% in 2010. 

"I give the governor high marks here," said Marcia Cone, Women's Fund of Rhode Island Executive Director.   "When you think that nearly 50 percent of his appoitnments have been women, that's significant."

Susan Farmer, the former Secretary of State who was the first woman to win statewide elective office in 1982 noted that there have only been five other women elected statewide in the intervening 30 years.

"We need to make sure that we keep the pressure on our colleagues, our friends, to step up and take some of these roles," Farmer said.

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