Midvale is the first city in Salt Lake County, and only the second city in the state, to pass a resolution supporting A Bolder Way Forward and its dedication to helping women and girls flourish. The mayor and city council formalized support for the initiative in June, with a promise to identify resources and strategies that support the community and align with the statewide movement.

“We at Midvale City are already doing a lot of this work,” said Mayor Dustin Gettel. “There’s still a lot of work to be done. Being the first in Salt Lake County to do it, that’s exciting, but being able to actually do the work now and get this designation is much more important.”

Statistics from the Utah Women & Leadership Project show that 1 in 3 Utah women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime, only 12% of Utah families can afford infant care and Utah has one of the highest gender wage gaps in the country. 

Utah continues to have high levels of sexual assault and gender-based discrimination while ranking as one of the worst states for women’s equality. It also has low levels of women’s leadership in business and politics. 

Gettel noted that Midvale has been represented by strong women, including JoAnn Seghini, who served two decades as Midvale mayor and three terms as city council member. He also mentioned that April Morse serves as Midvale’s police chief and that seven years ago, no women were elected to the city council, but now three women serve as council members. 

“As I sit around the table for our senior staff meetings, it’s obvious that we have a great mix of men and women at that table, as it should be,” Gettel said. “I want to make sure we recognize the wonderful women who have led Midvale, past, present and future.”

Through collaborations with local governments, A Bolder Way Forward hopes to champion change and meaningful progress. Mariah Hill works as Midvale’s administrative services director as well as serving as co-lead for the local government committee of A Bolder Way Forward. 

She said in order to move the needle in some of those areas where Utah is lacking, government, business and community leaders need to come together to bring about significant change by 2030. 

“If we did nothing, then it could take 30 to 40 years to see change. Instead, we’re trying to do that in five to seven years,” Hill said. “Research continues to show that women and girls are not thriving in critical areas in Utah.”

The adopted resolution acknowledged that women face serious challenges and consistent disparities in wages and leadership representation. It also states that Midvale recognizes the importance of encouraging the mission of A Bolder Way Forward to strengthen women and girls in Utah.

Midvale committed to using data-driven approaches, consulting academic research, policy briefs, and community surveys to guide its efforts and measure progress in supporting the initiative. The resolution points to Midvale City’s policies that have already demonstrated support for women in the workforce, including progressive family leave policies and paid maternity and caregiver leave. 

The proclamation reads, “Midvale City recognizes that when women and girls experience good health and well-being, the freedom of safety and security, equal representation in the community, access and opportunity for education, and successful employment in fair and equitable workplaces, all Utahns thrive.”

North Salt Lake was the first city in Utah to collaborate with A Bolder Way Forward. For more information about the initiative, visit usu.edu/uwlp/a-bolder-way-forward/overview.

“It is definitely something that I think Midvale is uniquely positioned to lead the way on, and that excites me as mayor,” Gettel said. “I think it’s going to be a great thing and can’t wait to see what’s next.”