CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper officially declared Aug. 26 as the statewide Women's Equality Day. It also marks the 50th anniversary of the nationally recognized Women's Equality Day, which honors the passage of the 19th Amendment. That amendment, which was adopted in 1920, granted some women in America the right to vote.
Gov. Cooper paid tribute to all the women leading the charge in gender equality and talked about women in each field big and small.
For Samantha Allen, getting to this spot wasn't a piece of cake. Allen is the owner and lead baker of Wentworth & Fenn Bakery in Charlotte.
“I never thought I’d get this far," Allen said. "We are a bootstrap business so it’s not easy, we have no investors -- it’s all me.”
Aside from the typical challenges of starting a business, she said it was made more difficult as a woman.
“I’ve had comments and actions in the kitchens I’ve worked in where it made me angry," she said, "and I wanted to surpass them and then I wanted to prove them wrong."
Allen said the restaurant industry is a male-dominated field, so getting her foot in the door was challenging. The National Restaurant Association said females have lower representation in the back of the house. 1 in 5 chefs and 1 in 3 cooks are female.
She said this is a reason why representation is important.
“If anyone who is younger who aspires to be a pastry chef or business owner sees that is it possible without being backed by whoever, you can do," Allen said.
Allen said as she preps for the next day, she is reminded of all the work that's been done for women's equality, but said there's still more to do.
Contact Austin Walker at awalker@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.