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CHICAGO — Key female leaders from around Illinois came together at the Thompson Center today to urge Gov. Bruce Rauner sign a bill creating the Illinois Council on Women and Girls.

It’s a group that will ensure women have a seat at the table as policymakers to help shape the state’s priorities with regard to women, and deal with economic disparity and gender discrimination.

Lawmakers stood together in solidarity, showing their support for creating the council and urging Gov. Rauner to sign it into law quickly.

Several women’s groups standing with the lawmakers included the Women’s March Chicago, Planned Parenthood, Equality Illinois, and the YWCA. They said women need to have more of a say on policymaking, and now more than ever the Governor has the ability to step up and protect women and finally put an end to gender inequality.

The bill was sponsored by State Rep. Anna Moeller (D-Elgin) in the Illinois House and State Sen. Jacqui Collins (D-Chicago) in the Illinois Senate.

It cleared both houses in Springfield but Gov. Rauner has not yet acted on the measure. He received the bill on June 19 and has only about two weeks left to decide whether to sign it.