In honor of Women’s History Month, the Arvada Chamber of Commerce is leading a celebration of Arvada women leaders throughout the month of March. The Chamber will celebrate Badass Women of Arvada in business, non-profits, and the community and offer resources and engagement opportunities. Community members can nominate women to highlight as the Chamber celebrates business owners, executives, rising stars, pioneers, norm-breakers, entrepreneurs, inventors, influencers, and other leaders in Arvada. The Arvada community is encouraged to celebrate women by sharing photos, stories, resources, and more on social media with the tag #BadassWomenOfArvada.

2021: A Critical Year to Support Women in Business

According to Small Business Administration (SBA) data and the American Express 2019 State of Women-Owned Business Report, women own 42% of all companies in the U.S., employing 9.4 million people. Fifty percent of all women-owned businesses are minority-owned. Colorado ranks in the top ten among states where women-owned businesses wield the most “economic clout.” The “economic clout” metric takes into account the combined growth rates of the number of women-owned firms, their employee counts and their revenue. It’s one metric used by the report’s authors to measure the strength of women-owned businesses by geography.

Although women have made great strides in small business ownership, particularly in Colorado, the economic downturn of the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted women. According to the Common Sense Institute, women accounted for 54.5% of all the jobs lost in 2020, despite women making up just 47% of the labor force. In December, women accounted for 100% of the net job loss for the month, as women lost 140,000 jobs, whereas men gained 16,000 jobs.

According to a new survey by Energize Colorado, of women-owned businesses, 86% reported they would not be able to operate for more than six months if current conditions and revenue continue. In addition, 44% reported they would not last another one to three months.

“The disproportionate impact of this pandemic serves as a reminder to lift up women in business now more than ever,” says Kami Welch, president of the Arvada Chamber of Commerce. “We have many incredible women in business, non-profit, and government roles that serve the Arvada community. This month, we’re thrilled to support and celebrate their accomplishments and help promote future leaders in Arvada.”

About Women’s History Month

Women’s History Month is celebrated annually in March to highlight women’s achievements and promote gender equality across the globe. The month corresponds with International Women’s Day on March 8, a day of education, empowerment, and action.

Women’s History Month began as a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California. The Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women planned and executed a “Women’s History Week” celebration in 1978. The movement spread across the country as other communities initiated their own Women’s History Week celebrations the following year. In 1987, Congress designated March as “Women’s History Month” and since 1995, each president has issued an annual proclamation designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.”

The National Women’s History Alliance selects and publishes the yearly theme. Since many of the women’s suffrage centennial celebrations originally scheduled for 2020 were curtailed, the Alliance has extended the annual theme for 2021 to “Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to Be Silenced.” The International Women’s Day theme for 2021 is #ChooseToChallenge, challenging us all to call out gender bias and inequality.

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Visit arvadachamber.org/badasswomen to find profiles, resources and engagement opportunities!

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