RALEIGH: Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed March as Women’s History Month to honor the women who have shaped North Carolina’s history.

“This month, we celebrate the achievements of North Carolina women who have worked to strengthen our state,” said Governor Cooper. “Gender disparities still exist in too many spaces, and we must ensure that women have access to equal opportunities, pay and respect for their contributions.”

This year marks the 59th anniversary of the North Carolina Council for Women and Youth Involvement, an initiative focused on advancing and protecting the rights of women. The Council provides guidance on a variety of issues that women face, including health and wellness, youth development and education and employment, as well as funding for domestic violence and sexual assault programs. 

The Governor and his administration are working to advance gender equality in North Carolina. In May 2019, the Governor signed Executive Order No. 95. The Order provides state employees with eight weeks of paid parental leave after giving birth or four weeks of paid parental leave after a partner gives birth or to bond with and care for a child in the event of adoption, foster care or other legal placement. More than 56,000 state employees are eligible to receive paid parental leave under the Order. As of August 2021, more than 3,600 state employees have used the paid parental leave policy.

In December 2018, Governor Cooper signed Executive Order No. 82 which extends workplace protections and modifications to pregnant employees. In April 2019, the Governor signed Executive Order No. 93 directing state government agencies to ban the use of salary history in the hiring process, as reliance on salary history can perpetuate gender pay inequities.

In September 2021, the Governor signed House Bill 608: Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act into law. The legislation protects women who are incarcerated during and after pregnancy and labor and helps women who are incarcerated bond with their children.

View theProclamation.