Addressing Gender Equity and Women’s Empowerment in Underserved Communities

BOSTON, November 16, 2024 (Newswire.com) - Whittier Street Health Center will bring together more than prominent women leaders in Greater Boston from diverse backgrounds for its annual Women for Whittier’s Holiday Tea on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, at the Frederica M. Williams Building in Roxbury, Massachusetts. The event, which will recognize several outstanding champions for Whittier and its community, will bring together like-minded women and raise vital funds for the community health center to continue providing high-quality and accessible healthcare and social services to achieve health equity, social justice, and the economic well-being of a diverse patient population. 

The theme of this year’s event is Gender Equity and Women’s Empowerment. The Keynote Speaker is Goldie Taylor, SVP, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Author of The Love You Save: A Memoir.

According to the 2023 Global Gender Gap report, the United States ranked only 43rd out of 146 countries examined for gender equality by the World Economic Forum, behind Mexico and Canada, which came 30th and 33rd, respectively. The index benchmarks gender gaps on economic, political, education, and health-based criteria and highlights the progress yet to be made before women in the United States have equal standards of living to their male counterparts. 

“Since the COVID-19 pandemic, achieving gender equality has felt distant. Every year, I am heartened to meet so many inspirational women leaders at the Women for Whittier Holiday Tea who share the ambition of uplifting vulnerable girls, women, and families in Greater Boston,” said Whittier Street Health Center’s President and Chief Executive Officer Frederica M. Williams. “We are thrilled to celebrate the accomplishments of these women leaders from diverse backgrounds while recognizing the ongoing need to close the gap in gender equality. By honoring the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of female leaders, we are empowering other women to reach their full potential.”

The event will recognize the following women for their exceptional support and advocacy for Whittier and its patients: 

• Theresa Hopkins-Staten, President, Eversource Energy Foundation and Vice President, Corporate Citizenship and Equity, Eversource Energy 
• Elaine Ullian, former President and CEO, Boston Medical Health System
• Alicia Wedderburn, Board Chair, Whittier Street Health Center, District-Wide Science Instructional Coach, Boston Public Schools STEM Department, founder and CEO, ScienceEd Consulting, LLC, co-founder and Principal Consultant, Creating AccessEd Consulting, LLC
• Enna Jimenez, CEO, Enna Jimenez LLC and Chief Development Officer, Association of Latina Professionals for America
• Shirley Leung, columnist and Associate Editor, Boston Globe 

For more information about Whittier Street Health Center, the Women for Whittier Holiday Tea 2024, and sponsorship information, please visit https://www.wshc.org/event/women-for-whittier-holiday-tea-2024 or contact [email protected]. 

Source: Whittier Street Health Center