Kristi K.: On this episode of Business Life 360, we're talking about the advancement and empowerment of women in business, in society and in our communities.

And in discussing this, we first must talk about the challenges and barriers facing women today.

How far have women come with us on business life?

3060 is Lisa McDuffie, who is the president and CEO of the YWCA of Northwest Ohio.

Lisa is a change agent, an advocate, a role model, and a true leader in representing the voices of women throughout our region and beyond.

So Lisa, welcome to Business Life 360.

So good to have you here.

Lisa McDuffie: Thank you so much, Kristi.

It's an honor to be here.

Kristi K.: I know first and foremost, we can really put equal pay and the wage gap at the top of the list in terms of some of the barriers for women.

Lisa McDuffie: So, Lilly Right.

Kristi K.: How so?

Lisa McDuffie: Today, to every dollar that a man earns, a woman earns $0.82.

And if you are a woman of color, African American, you earn 62.

Sit.

If you are Hispanic 50 cent And when you do that math, what that really equates to is an inability really to economically survive and be competitive in today's world that allows you to live a comfortable life for your family.

Kristi K.: Have you seen progress?

Are you seeing changes in a shift in that?

Lisa McDuffie: Yeah.

Yeah.

So I can talk about some positives because we have to start really with one program at a time, one life at a time.

And so part of what we love to do is help individuals understand the importance of their own personal responsibility as best as possible in building their own economic wealth.

And so even with your paycheck, as difficult as it may be, what can you do to help establish a savings account?

How can we help you?

Budget and manage what you do?

Bring in?

Okay.

How can we help you work on your credit?

And from working on credit.

Then we can eventually talking about, you know, a savings account or even planning for the future.

Mm hmm.

It's all of those things that many of us have come to take for granted.

But when you are an individual who's working really paycheck to paycheck, it's difficult.

Oftentimes to think about how do I begin to save?

And so sometimes that may be $10, $20 a week to try to help you.

And the flip side of that also is thinking, now I'm going to go right back to wealth, because here's the big, big dilemma here.

It's not just the money in the bank.

It's assets, wealth.

It's assets.

So if we want to break the generational cycle of people in poverty, we have to help them and give them the tools to build wealth.

Kristi K.: So another topic as we kind of shift the heavy topic of financial disparity and really working to improve that is violence against women.

And you work in this world every day.

You see this.

Talk to us about how that really is so prevalent in our world and how that truly suppresses women and our rights to kind of move forward in this world.

Lisa McDuffie: Absolutely.

So if you know, seven women, chances are one of them are being domestic violence right now.

Oftentimes people think about it.

And just the mere fact that it's it's cuts and bruises.

There is many other forms of abuse that take place.

You know, it can be emotional and psychological, but a very big form is financial abuse.

And so for women, sometimes they stay in relationships.

Think about what we just talked about.

Think about the very topic we're talking about today.

If we're talking about the wage gap, if a female is bringing in a portion $0.82 on the dollar, African-American, $0.60 on the dollar ladder next.

$0.50 on the dollar compared to a whole dollar.

At the end of the week.

At the end of the month, at what point will that woman choose that?

It may be almost impossible for me to get away from this person that is really providing for the family that's maybe paying the bills.

And so part of what we try to do is in economic empowerment for women and help them understand that there is life outside of financial abuse.

Kristi K.: Now, in addition to that, Lisa, you also have a 24 hour rape crisis center and you are also dealing with those maybe in the middle of the night coming in, mothers with their children, having faced domestic violence situations, their pets may be coming as well.

What is it that we can do for women to help break that cycle and to say, in addition to sort of the financial piece of that, to say some of these controlling behaviors, these abusive behaviors are not okay, and especially for those women who aren't coming to the YWCA and who aren't seeking that that shelter, if you will.

Lisa McDuffie: That's a really wonderful question.

You know, what I would say is one of the most important things is to build awareness.

Not everyone will feel like shelter is for them.

The YWCA provides 24 hour crisis services, which may be a phone call.

And we are literally available at your fingertips to walk you through a safety plan to help you understand the importance of, you know, what you can do to save your life in the lives of your children.

To help you understand the resources we have available, including pet sheltering, so that you don't have to leave your pet behind.

But I'm going to take this also a step further.

You know, we can start with education and providing resources and just opening our doors for women.

But it is critically important that we start very, very young.

And so the earlier we can provide education to young girls and boys, it's crucial.

Kristi K.: Lisa, thank you so much for being in business life.

316 and a. Lisa McDuffie: Pleasure, Kristi.

Thank you.

Kristi K.: We thank Lisa McDuffie for what she does every day to help those dealing with domestic violence, rape, crisis inequity and racism and for her tireless work to advance and empower women.

And now let's head out on location to continue the dialog.