Hoosiers Gather In Bloomington To Celebrate Women In Business

More than 100 Hoosier female leaders and business owners gathered in Bloomington Tuesday to celebrate their achievements.

State officials say the number of women in business is increasing in Indiana. Women-owned businesses made up half of those in the state last year.

Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch says while it's important to celebrate those successes, there's still work to do. She says women are still underrepresented in public service and elected offices.

"While we represent 52 percent of the electorate, we aren't representing 52 percent of those policy legislative positions which is where we need to be," Crouch says.

She says it's necessary for women to be more involved in the political process, to vote and support women who are running for office, and maybe run for office themselves.

Indiana first lady Janet Holcomb says women continue to meet gender-based challenges, and there's no simple answer to address the challenges. But she says working together helps push the needle forward.

"Together we're going to make a difference to ensure men and women from all different backgrounds, cultures and professions have the ability to succeed," she says.

Indianapolis was recently ranked the fourth best city in the country for women in tech.