Please update your records with our
new suite number:
1 E Wacker Drive, Suite 2520, Chicago, IL 60601. |
Back To School
August, the last full month of summer and the start of new beginnings for many students, faculty, and staff preparing for a new academic year. As we think about back-to-school, different images may come to mind―the excitement on a child’s face as they walk to school carrying a backpack two sizes too big or the sound of laughter as they wait to get on the big yellow school bus; or the glimmers of hope in a college student’s eyes as they embark on a new academic journey or return for their final year of study and adventure. Back-to-school is such a great time of year, and yet, many of us are feeling heavy with disappointment from The Supreme Court’s recent Affirmative Action decision. It will have far-reaching implications on racial equity and diversity on college campuses, making the pathway from college to career even more difficult to navigate for many.
Although the work to close equity gaps in higher education will be challenging, one thing that remains strong is Women Employed’s commitment to Racial Equity and Inclusion (REI) in higher education and career pathways. One of the ways that WE is lifting up REI work is through the ASPIRE Project. The Accelerating Student Progress and Increasing Racial Equity (ASPIRE) Project, launched in 2021, is a collaboration between Women Employed and 10 Illinois community colleges intended to increase equity, access, and success in education and career and technical training so more women, families, and communities can thrive.
The Project partners with campuses throughout the academic year to advance each institution's goals to reform developmental education (also called remedial education), which can be a major barrier to students’ college completion, contributing to racial achievement gaps in higher education. The intention of the project is not to advance a single model, but rather to support locally defined efforts that lead to student acceleration and progress while closing racial equity gaps for Black and Latina/o/x students.
The Supreme Court’s decision is a historic setback to the countless hours, weeks, months, and years that organizations, including Women Employed, have put in to address equity gaps in higher education and the workplace. However, the decision will not deter WE from advocating for and creating policy recommendations that will make Illinois a national leader in closing these gaps. WE is dedicated to advancing legislative and policy solutions for those whose needs are often overlooked in higher education: women, people of color, and student parents.
Warmly,
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P.S. Want to read more about what can be done to prioritize racial equity in higher Ed in the wake of the affirmative action decision? Read this piece by WE’s Director of Policy Christina Warden. |
We are thrilled to announce the extension of the ASPIRE Project, an innovative program to improve developmental education in Illinois through a multiyear grant from the ECMC Foundation.
Women Employed created the Accelerating Student Progress and Increasing Racial Equity (ASPIRE) Project to increase equity, access to, and success in education, career and technical training so more women, families, and communities can thrive. The ASPIRE Project is part of Women Employed's long-standing effort to make college more accessible for adults and equitable for students of color.
"Women Employed is committed to helping reform developmental education in Illinois and increasing the number of students from underserved backgrounds who can pursue career and technical education and graduate with a credential that has value in the workforce,” Rosario Torres, ECMC Foundation Program Officer , said. “Because of the ASPIRE Project and Women Employed’s dedication, more Illinois students will reach their full potential and career goals, improving long-term equity across the state."
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The ASPIRE Racial Equity and Inclusion Speaker Series continued in August with a workshop led by Dr. Liza Talusan, faculty member at the University of Massachusetts Boston where she teaches in both the Masters and Doctoral programs in Education. Dr. Talusan’s presentation on The Identity-Conscious Educator: Building Habits and Skills for More Inclusive Schools explored what an identity-conscious practice is, why it matters, and how to create action that builds more inclusive communities. |
August 15th was Moms’ Equal Pay Day. A day we shed light on the persistent wage gap experienced by mothers in the workplace. The statistics speak volumes: when you look at both full- and part-time workers, the average mom earns 62¢ compared to every $1 the average father earns.
Cultural stereotypes and workplaces designed around workers without caregiving responsibilities deeply impact women who are often both employees and caregivers. Working moms are critical our society, dedicating their time and effort to both their families and careers. Yet, pay discrimination, caregiver discrimination, and lack of paid leave in many of the jobs held by women continue to be the barriers, impacting their ability to achieve economic security and stability.
In Illinois, Women Employed has been a strong advocate for policies that help working moms—and all working women—thrive. Recently, we helped win both paid time off and salary transparency laws that will both be vital tools in helping to close the wage gap for moms—and for all women! And we’re working to pass paid family and medical leave in Illinois, and to expand Chicago’s paid time off ordinance as well. Stay tuned for ways you can help!
In the meantime, you can advocate for three critical pieces of federal legislation that can help close the wage gap and support working moms:
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She Says: Cynthia Alfaro on
Moms' Equal Pay Day |
In a world full of challenges, it can be easy to become overwhelmed by the negative. But while progress may move slower than we’d like, our hard-earned successes become stepping stones for the path forward.
Cynthia Alfaro, founder of Moms Winning, has exemplified this throughout her life. From the intense struggle of her early motherhood years spent escaping domestic violence and battling food and job insecurity, she used her experience to empower and create community with other women. Now on Women Employed’s Board of Directors, Cynthia shares her story of perseverance and inspiration in honor of Moms’ Equal Pay Day, which we marked on August 15th.
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Illinois Wins Salary Transparency! How It Will Benefit Working Women—and Employers! |
Women Employed celebrated the signing of Illinois’ salary history ban into law in 2019, making a significant step towards closing the gender wage gap. While employers can no longer ask how much you made in a previous job, they can still ask what your salary requirements were, and that’s where the new salary transparency law — signed just a week ago — comes into play, giving us another tool for advancing pay equity (and getting you paid fairly!). Here’s why, and how. |
Read our press release on the signing of the
bill into law! |
National Black Business Month |
August is National Black Business Month—a time to spotlight and elevate Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs and all that they represent to the Illinois economy and work towards racial and gender equity. Black-owned businesses employ 175,000 people and contribute $8 billion annually to the state economy, according to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
Black women are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs, with Latina/x women close behind. But Black and Brown women face steep hurdles to launching businesses, and resources and information is often scattered and difficult to find.
The WE Hub was built to address those barriers, and to help women entrepreneurs—particularly Black and Latina/x women—successfully launch and grow businesses. It’s a revolutionary tool to empower more Illinois women to improve their financial security, build their wealth, and achieve their own vision of success.
For more information on our WE Hub, and to get started today |
A will is probably the most important document that you’ll ever write! It allows you to select how your assets and property should be distributed when you pass away and provides peace of mind for yourself and your loved ones.
Everyone needs a will, whether you are 18 or 80. A will is an instrument for your economic power. There’s no better moment than NOW to plan for the future.
And when you do, please consider building a legacy of impact towards a more just future by including Women Employed as a beneficiary in your will.
To learn more, click here. |
Where in the World is Women Employed |
After a jam-packed July, we made an intentional decision to take a bit of a hiatus from events in August. We took some time as a staff to rest, recuperate, and to intentionally focus on internal work, planning, strategy, and more. Read about that decision, as well as a couple of events we participated in at the end of July. And stay tuned for more to come as we gear up for fall! |
Don’t miss out on the next event! Visit the events page on our website so you can be kept in the loop about where Women Employed is going next and how to be involved. |
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National Partnership for Women & Families |
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