Women’s Groups Form Statewide Network

California women’s organizations are linking up to form a statewide network aimed at boosting the fortunes of working women and female entrepreneurs.

It’s an effort to bring together a variety of women’s groups, leverage their resources and present a unified front on issues important to women.

That’s a tall order, considering the sheer number and diversity of women’s organizations. Still, the State Economic Network has already managed to recruit Gov. Gray Davis and his wife, Sharon, as honorary chairs, while attracting some heavyweight sponsors like AT&T; and Bank of America.

The California State Economic Network is part of a national initiative that grew out of the 1998 Women’s Economic Summit in Washington, D.C. Since then, 15 states have organized SENs to link women business leaders, advocates and public officials to advance a women-friendly national economic agenda.

“A lot of us are working on these issues in a fragmented way,” said Judith Luther Wilder, co-chief executive of Women Incorporated, a national working woman’s group that’s organizing the California SEN. “The idea is to join together behind legislation and programs that benefit women business owners and generally improve the economic status of women.”

That could mean any number of things, from access to capital and child-care issues, to retirement concerns and health care. So the first order of business is to figure out what common goals these disparate groups can rally around.

The California SEN is holding a kickoff forum April 28 to hammer out an agenda. About 100 women business owners, executives, legislators and advocates are expected at the all-day forum to be held at the Los Angeles City Club downtown.

While that event is by invitation only, organizers are seeking input from women all over California. E-mail suggestions to Women Incorporated at lawomeninc@aol.com.