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Nevada Women in the Trades
Nevada Woman In Trades founder Evelyn Pacheco attends a resource fair on the CSN Cheyenne campus.
Wednesday June 19, 2024 | 2 am
This week marks the 61st anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, a landmark law that banned gender-based pay discrimination in the United States, revolutionizing our workforce. Enacted on June 10, 1963, just two years before my birth, it is evident that despite the significant progress we have made toward gender equality in our nation, the fight for equal rights and pay is still present.
That’s why, in 2018, I fulfilled a life’s mission by founding Nevada Women in Trades, a nonprofit organization that challenges the male-dominated trades industry by empowering women of color across our state with opportunities in manual work.
In 2007, I broke a glass ceiling by becoming the first Black woman in Nevada to earn a plumber’s license, an accomplishment I achieved as a disabled military veteran. Now I make sure to keep the door open for other working women.
Looking for a better life, I moved to Las Vegas with my children. Through an apprenticeship program, I combined daytime work with night classes, which allowed me to support my family while transforming my life. This experience alleviated many personal and financial concerns, and I discovered a new path and new empowerment as a woman in the trades.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Labor announced nearly $200 million in grants aimed at expanding and strengthening registered apprenticeship programs. Funded by the Biden-Harris administration, these investments will cover apprenticeship programs in different industries, including information technology, healthcare, education, and the blue-collar workforce to build a stronger middle and working class.
Getting into the business offers significant benefits. Not only does it provide well-paying jobs that ensure a living wage for diverse communities, but it also offers health care and dental coverage essential to our well-being. Joining the trades is undeniably valuable, a fact that everyone should recognize. It’s incredibly impactful when leaders invest in apprenticeship programs, because they provide a path to secure, stable jobs, even for women.
When the required qualifications are equal, specifically in the trades, the compensation should be as well. As women of color, we are disproportionately affected by the gender pay gap as our intersectional identities increase our likelihood of experiencing gender and race discrimination. In 2022, Black women received 66 cents for every dollar the typical white man received. It is essential to note that apprenticeship programs are underutilized by women, even though these programs offer important opportunities and benefits.
This is largely because a male-centric culture still prevails within the trades, and that gender disparity discourages women from exploring and taking advantage of the various opportunities available to them.
Combating such disparities is crucial for all Nevadans. We need all the workers we can get: the trades are an integral part of Nevada’s economy and federal investments are increasing job opportunities. Currently, Nevada is attracting manufacturing and mining, creating even more jobs, particularly due to the CHIPS Act passed by the Biden administration.
Through my nonprofit, we advocate for women facing underemployment or reintegrating into society after incarceration. My advocacy work extends beyond helping women physically join the trades; I have also fought for it in the Nevada State House of Representatives.
Despite the governor’s office’s unfortunate veto of Assembly Bill 305, a bill designed to help women enter the trades, I remain steadfast in advancing this cause. I am dedicated to working with community members to ensure that women in Nevada, including veterans and survivors of domestic violence, have access to opportunities in the trade by any means necessary.
As we commemorate the anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, we must reaffirm our commitment to gender equality and economic empowerment for all, specifically those in marginalized communities. The trades provide a path to success for Black, Indigenous, and women of color in Nevada and beyond, and it is vital that we continue to strengthen and elevate women in these fields.
Evelyn Pacheco is the founder of Nevada Women in Trades and a Las Vegas resident.
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