New Survey Tackles Issues Facing Burlington County Women

Burlington County officials are inviting women in the community to share their voices on the unique issues they face every day.

In partnership with the newly reinvigorated Burlington County Women’s Advisory Council, Burlington County Freeholder Director Kate Gibbs and Deputy Director Linda Hughes are launching a new county-wide women’s survey to gather meaningful input on how county services and programs could be enhanced to better address their needs.

“As the only county in the state with women serving as director and deputy director of a freeholder board, I believe we have a unique opportunity and obligation to make a difference in the lives of women in Burlington County,” Gibbs said. “We are using this opportunity to hear directly from women in our community and find out if their specific needs are being met by the county, and if not, learn what improvements we can make.”

The county-wide survey asks women questions to determine their awareness of, and experience with an array of existing county services and programs, as well as other topics like access to child and health care, educational opportunities, and the job market.

Officials said the survey takes about five minutes. It can be taken here or on the Burlington County Women’s Advisory Council Facebook page. All information provided in the survey will be kept confidential and is open to women who live and/or work in Burlington County, officials said.

“It is my goal to make sure that all women in Burlington County know about the different programs the county offers, including workforce development, job training, services through our health department and much more,” Hughes said. “Through this survey we can measure which programs are being utilized, and hear suggestions on what can be done better.”

Earlier this year, Burlington County revamped its Women’s Advisory Council. Gibbs and Hughes tasked members with evaluating existing services and programs, educating the public about the challenges women face daily, raising awareness of the special contributions women make in the community and providing opportunities for mentoring and collaboration that will enhance the quality of life for all women in Burlington County.

Since then, Gibbs and Hughes have worked with the council to launch new women-focused-initiatives, such as leveraging social media to create an online resource center with centralized information about services and programs for women, and have plans to launch a mentoring event series in the fall, with the goal of bringing more than 50 established professional women together with women either starting or re-starting their careers.

Burlington County has also introduced an equal pay resolution, mandatory sexual harassment training and retraining for all county employees, and placing private, dedicated mother’s rooms in county buildings.

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