Bank of America program gives Hispanic business owners head start wcnc.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wcnc.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By April Paradis, Bank of America
Investing in women makes good business sense because diverse and inclusive workplaces are essential in meeting the needs of today’s diverse clients, communities and other key stakeholders.
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COURTESY / BANK OF AMERICA
April Paradis is senior vice president for global human resources at Bank of America in Maine.
Data supports the fact that companies that create a strong culture of diversity reap the benefits of greater innovation, stronger employee engagement and productivity and a positive impact on the bottom line.
Women own a third of all businesses worldwide, make up just over half of the workforce, and yet 1-in-4 women have considered leaving the workforce due to the coronavirus, which would equate to a 12.5% reduction in the labor force. It’s why we continue to invest every day in helping women make meaningful contributions within our company and in their communities at large.
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The financial Bank of America announced that it has increased its $1 billion, four-year commitment to advance racial equality and economic opportunity to $1.25 billion over five years. This effort further accelerates work already underway to address racial equality and opportunity through direct actions, investments and work to catalyze similar efforts across the private sector.
To date, the company has made more than $350 million in various investments from its initial $1 billion four-year commitment, announced in June 2020, across its primary focus areas of health, jobs/reskilling, affordable housing and small business. Additional funds announced today will further support investments to address racial justice, advocacy and equality for people and communities of color, including those of Asian descent, Bank of America notes.
The FINANCIAL - Bank of America Increases Commitment to Advance Racial Equality and Economic Opportunity to $1 25 Billion finchannel.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from finchannel.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Gerri Moll and Sarah Owen
Special to The News-Press
Women’s History Month is a celebration of the achievements of groundbreaking women everywhere and a time to examine the many obstacles they still face. That examination is especially important now, as the pandemic amplifies gender inequalities in Southwest Florida that have existed for generations. In our region, where women now outnumber men, studies show women earn even less money than the national average. Likewise, women have fewer professional or management positions and less health insurance coverage than Florida’s average, which is already among the worst in the nation.
According to U.S. Census Bureau data, there are more Southwest Florida women in poverty than men. Looking at the higher end of the economic spectrum, women with graduate degrees in Lee County still earn an average of 19% less than their male counterparts, while the earnings difference in Collier County is 39%.