Budget cuts in California are affecting everything from health and human services to the judicial system, but there is one group of people that is being disproportionately affected — women.
Female-headed households are the most likely to depend on government services, and women dominate many categories of government employment, especially in the areas of health, education and social services, according to SDSU women’s studies professor Doreen Mattingly.
Day of Action
SDSU’s Department of Women’s Studies will bring attention to this issue during its “Day of Action” on Wednesday, Oct. 5, when it hosts a daylong teach-in on the effects of budget cuts on women. The event will bring policy experts, lobbyists and activists to campus to educate SDSU students and the local community about the effects of current and possible future budget cuts on women.
"So many of our students, especially women, but men too, are training for careers in education, health, social services and other government jobs,” Mattingly said.
“They believe passionately in being of service to others, and are investing years of study to become skilled workers. At the same time, the fields they are training for are disappearing because of budget cuts at all levels.”
During the “Day of Action,” organizers hope to educate students on what is happening with government spending and how it will affect them, their families and their careers. Most of all, they will inform them on how to advocate effectively to make sure their beliefs and interests are represented in government.
Saldaña's keynote speech
Former Democratic Assemblywoman Lori Saldaña will be the keynote speaker at the event. Saldaña is currently teaching the “Sex, Power and Politics” course in SDSU’s Department of Women’s Studies. Her lecture at 12:15 p.m. will focus on an employment market that is more global, with fewer government job opportunities, even as the need for those services is increasing among baby boomers and others.
“I want students to understand ways they can adjust their current studies and plans, to be better prepared for fewer public resources for people who still have all of the same needs,” said Saldaña.
“This is very different from the career paths and opportunities that were available for SDSU graduates in the past. These are the realities of the economic challenges facing all of us, and it is our responsibility on the Day of Action to prepare students for that new future.”
Teach-in schedule
The daylong teach-in will take place from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. at SDSU’s Scripps Cottage (unless otherwise noted). The schedule for the day includes:
- 9 – 10 a.m., Budget Overview: Will cuts affect your job? (Storm Hall 247), with speakers Jean Ross of the California Budget Project and Christie Hill, Center for Policy Initiatives.
- 10:30 a.m. – noon, Morning breakout sessions on education and reproductive rights
- 12:15 – 1:15 p.m., Keynote Lecture by former Assemblywoman Lori Saldaña
- 1:30 – 3 p.m., Afternoon breakout sessions on social services and health
- 3:15 – 5 p.m., How to Get into Action with speakers Tamara Murray, Fenton Communication and Kirstin Clemmons, SEIU Local 221
More information about the event can be found at
facebook.com/dayofactionsdsu.
SDSU established the Department of Women's Studies in 1970, making it the oldest program in the United States. Since its founding, it has developed a national and international reputation for excellence in its curriculum and faculty.