What is it like being a woman in Santa Cruz County, more than four decades after the feminist revolution?
Sheila De Lany, 68, a proactive member of the San Lorenzo Valley and Santa Cruz County, knows well — and not just because she’s lived through those decades.
De Lany, a Valley Women’s Club board member since 1979 and chair of its Women’s Issues Committee, moved to the area and opened Blind Pilot Jewelers in 1968 to pursue her passions in life: art, literature and equality for women.
Her store in central Boulder Creek designs, makes and repairs jewelry for local residents, and she and her husband, Jerry, offer handmade and custom pieces not found in any chain store.
Some of the jewelry is on exhibit is displayed next to a poetry De Lany wrote specifically about the piece. It’s a literary manifestation of what that art means to her.
In addition to her artistic endeavors, De Lany does her part to help Santa Cruz roll more smoothly as a community.
She was asked in 1989 by then-5th District Supervisor Fred Keeley to join the Santa Cruz County Women’s Commission. She agreed.
Several years ago, the all-volunteer commission decided to tackle the first study to find out objectively what life is like for women in Santa Cruz.
“Even though Santa Cruz is liberal, we knew anecdotally that there is still economic and social injustice in this county,” De Lany says. “Testimonies weren’t enough; we were challenged to prove it.”
De Lany has been with the project since its inception. Along with student interns and volunteers, a team of women compiled data from numerous sources to document the status of women and girls in six areas: health care, education, economic and criminal justice, violence and political participation.
They found some surprising facts specific to Santa Cruz County.
n Women earn an average of 72 percent of men’s salaries, even if the jobs require similar duties. That gap increases when women have high-paying jobs. Thus, even those who attended college earn less than their male counterparts.
n Women vote in larger numbers than men, yet they’re not equally represented. For example, the five-person Santa Cruz Board of Supervisors includes only one woman. When women run for office, they study found, they are much more likely to perceive family responsibility as a deterrent in their campaign. Fortunately, when women do run for office, “they are as likely to win as men,” De Lany said.
n Girls in middle school tend to lose self-confidence, resulting in lower performance, especially in mathematics, science and technology. The study organizers hope to refocus girls’ aspirations in those areas.
De Lany’s work as an advocate for women has not been limited to Santa Cruz County. She represented the Women’s Commission at the United Nations’ 1995 meeting in Beijing. It was a worldwide group of individuals dedicated to ending suffering for women everywhere and to network and share ideas. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, then first lady, attended every day.
At a glance
To read the full Status of Women and Girls report from the Santa Cruz County Women’s Commission: www.sccwc.org.
Lyse McGilvery is a freelance writer and occasional contributor to the Press-Banner. She can be reached by e-mail at ly***********@***oo.com.
