Re: “Supporting Our Women to Continue Progress” (Oct. 23): Natalie Kotkin makes a very strong case for leadership development in young women, and certainly college can be an excellent ground for growth. We would add only that while it’s true more college women are networking and breaking into roles considered traditionally male, academe is not immune to the pernicious effects of the wage gap; female college and university teachers earn, on average, more than 25 percent less than those who are male. And the National Committee on Pay Equity estimates that over a lifetime (47 years of full-time work) the wage gap deprives women lost wages equivalent to $700,000 for a high school graduate, $1.2 million for a college graduate and $2 million for a professional school graduate.

Teresa Younger

Oct. 26

The writer is the Executive Director of the Connecticut General Assembly’s Permanent Commission on the Status of Women.