Hassan meets with Girl Up club members at Belmont High School

BELMONT — Senator Maggie Hassan met with members of Belmont High School’s Girl Up club on Monday to discuss the importance of gender equality in all aspects of society, including government. Girl Up is a global movement founded by the United Nations Foundation that provides resources to help young women effectively serve their communities and promote gender equality globally.

“These young women represent our country’s future leaders, and I am so grateful for their passion and desire to ensure that all women have the opportunity to thrive,” Senator Hassan said. “It is fantastic to see young people take initiative and fight for the change that they wish to see, and I am looking forward to seeing what they accomplish.”

“We were so glad to have Sen. Hassan come in to speak with the girls about her experience as a woman in politics, and provide insight into her unique experience having been both governor and senator,” said Edith Takantjas, Girl Up Adviser at Belmont High School. “Sen. Hassan’s commitment to fighting for gender equality is an inspiration to these young women, and we were all thrilled that she could join us today.”

“I was really excited to meet Sen. Hassan and learn more about what she is working on to support young women in the Senate,” said Sana Syed, a member of Girl Up. “My classmates and I enjoyed speaking with her and are excited to continue to learn more about how to fight for gender equality and make a difference both in our community and also around the world.”

Hassan has long fought to ensure that women receive fair and equal treatment in all aspects of their lives. In an effort to ensure family-friendly policies are available to all workers, Hassan cosponsored the FAMILY Act, which would create a universal, gender-neutral paid family and medical leave program to help support all family caregivers in the workforce. Hassan also joined in reintroducing the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and guarantee that women can challenge pay discrimination and pay inequity.