Lauren Gustus

Gender Equity Leadership in a Time of Transition

Lauren Gustus, Autumn Burke, Laura Friedman, Cassandra Pye, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Chris Silbermann, Kevin Clowden

The Milken Institute California Center convened a summit in Sacramento to replace previous state conferences with a strategy focused on data-driven policy recommendations and actionable solutions for workforce and gender equity challenges. A new study by Jessica Jackson highlighted critical disparities, including California's lower female labor participation and legislative representation compared to national averages, while panelists detailed how structural barriers like residency laws and unconscious bias perpetuate these gaps. In response to these findings, corporate leaders and state legislators outlined initiatives such as the "50-50 by 2020" target, expanded harassment definitions, and mandatory bystander training, with the collective prediction that a female governor will be elected in California within the next eight years.