Women discuss leadership roles at Mississippi AG Fitch's Women's Summit. See what they said

OXFORD — If there was anything women leaders communicated Monday during a Women's Summit hosted by Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, it was that women have both a seat at the table and the means to become successful, active participants in their communities.

"In politics, if you want something said, ask a man," Fitch said during the event, quoting a line from former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who became the United Kingdom's first woman head of Parliament in 1979. "If you want something done, ask a woman."

On Monday, about 400 people attended a Women's Summit at the Oxford Conference Center on Ed Perry Boulevard, featuring several panels of women discussing their roles as leaders in government, nonprofits in Jackson, owning and running companies and how they have navigated those settings among their male counterparts, among others.

At the event, panelists told attendees about their experiences as women in leadership roles, how they have interacted in male-dominated fields as business owners, in government and even how they use their positions to educate others about their journey. They also discussed why it is important to educate younger generations about women's roles in leadership.

During the business owners panel, University of Mississippi Medical Center Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs LouAnn Woodward said one of her greatest pieces of advice for women working their way up the corporate ladder was to find their own path toward growth and success and not to "learn how to play golf."

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"I like boys, but I don't want to be in the boys club," she said. "… I had to decide, am I going to play golf? I'm not … I figured out that I needed to put my energy in trying to lead and trying to do things the way that felt real to me and true to me and who I am, as opposed to then suddenly trying to fit the mold of what it seems like the others are."

In Mississippi, women take up some of the state's most important public offices, as well as a chunk of the business sector. For example, women own about 34% of the small businesses in Mississippi.

In politics, the state features one woman senator representing the Mississippi in Washington, D.C., Cindy Hyde Smith, one statewide office holder with Fitch as attorney general and one Mississippi Supreme Court Justice, Dawn Beam.

According to state records , there are nine women serving in the Mississippi Senate and 18 in the House. Of them, 11 are chairs of committees that consider new legislation. The committees include Technology, Drug Policy, Local and Private, Universities and Colleges and Medicaid, to name a few.

One of the speakers, Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill, told eventgoers that putting women in positions to become leaders, whether in public service or the private sector, starts with introducing them at a young age to women who take on those roles now.

"It is important for us to let these girls see people that are leading and it's hard, and there aren't as many women in this space as we want there to be, but we need to start talking to them about it in the fifth grade, so that they know as they grow up that this is certainly an opportunity (for them)," Tannehill said.

State Sen. Nicole Boyd, R-Oxford, also said that educating young women about the opportunities available to them will help to increase women in government and other fields.

Boyd also said during a public service panel that she has often found women work together more often in the capitol than the men, and that and several other women legislators are trying to change that attitude. She specifically noted recommending changes to allow lawmakers in different chambers to be allowed to sponsor the same piece of legislation.

"This is really silly," she said, "All of you should go back and talk to your legislator and say, 'You need to make sure the Rules Committee in both the House and the Senate changes the rules so y'all can sponsor legislation together,' because it will help this process, and we'll get better legislation on the front end."

Fitch told the Clarion Ledger that in planning and putting on the event, she hopes that women in business, politics and charitable organizations can network and form real connections with one another. Hopefully, those connections could spark more women coming into leadership roles in Mississippi.

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"This is an empowerment for women," Fitch said. "The synergy, the excitement you feel come together. We all have different roles, different jobs, different careers, but we're stronger when we're united, when we have a voice together. There are things that are so important across our state, but as we're together on this, we can have the discussion. We can move forward with action that needs to be taken."

During the day-long conference, several attendees told the Clarion Ledger they specifically came to support Fitch and said the event would help her along a potential path to the governor's desk. However, Fitch threw cold water on the insinuation that she is actively considering a run for governor in 2027.

"I certainly appreciate their kind words," she said. "I love my job right now, and I am focused with my amazing team, working on how we can best serve the state of Mississippi right now."

Grant McLaughlin covers state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Women discuss leadership roles at Mississippi AG Fitch's Women's Summit. See what they said