Shreveport Attorney Allison Jones Says Louisiana Ranks at or Near the Bottom for Treatment of Women

Shreveport Attorney Allison Jones says Louisiana has a long way to go in terms of fairness and equality for women.

Jones delivered the keynote address at the YWCA New Beginning luncheon and says Louisiana is at the bottom of several lists dealing with women's issues.

She says when it comes to the minimum wage, the family leave policies, the percentage of 4 year olds in pre-k, the gender management gap and publicly funded contraceptive services, Louisiana is last in the country.

She says the numbers speak volumes:

The state of women in Louisiana is not good. There has never been a time when we need to pull together, when we need to do more, when we need to demand more for the women of Louisiana than right now. We must claim and change the present in order to build the future. In terms of economic security, health and leadership representation, Louisiana ranks dead last. Full time working women in Louisiana earn only 67% of what men earn. This is unacceptable and if not addressed, it's unforgivable.

Jones says it will take a strong group of women to begin the process to make changes. She says women's groups must work together. She says women must be courageous and take on the challenges head-on without worrying about a turf war with other groups.

Here is the audio.