The shoulders on which we stand.
The second-wave feminists’ movement of the 70s inspired women and men across the United States, and the activism, mobilizing, and advocacy that ensued is why women have basic rights to reproductive privacy and credit in our own name, and protections against sexual harassment, hiring discrimination in the workplace, and housing discrimination on the basis of sex.
It was also during that time, in February 1973, that a small group of women gathered to discuss forming an organization that would take action to end discrimination against working women and improve working conditions in downtown Chicago―Women Employed. And ever since then, Women Employed has been on the leading edge of the economic advances women have made over the last five decades, opening career opportunities, winning stronger enforcement of equal opportunity laws, calling public attention to discriminatory workplace practices, and increasing women’s participation in higher education and training leading to good jobs.
As we commemorate 50 years of smashing the status quo, it is our charge to work relentlessly in pursuit of equity. Our rights and protections, and those of our daughters and granddaughters, are relying on it. Standing on the shoulders of the badass women who came together that cold February day in Chicago allows us to move forward boldly and unapologetically to kick down doors, take up seats, and challenge the status quo so that ALL women and their families can thrive.
Standing on the shoulders of those original trailblazers, and all of those who have been integral to WE’s success over the last 50 years, allows us to help women secure better jobs and pay in the industries and roles of our choosing; to close the pay gap; to not have to choose between ourselves, our loved ones, and work; to codify our rights to decide what is best for our own bodies and to the privacy to make those choices; to work free from sexual harassment; and to gain agency and economic freedom after surviving gender-based violence.
I thank each of you for your support and partnership as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary, some of you have been with us for five decades and some of you (like me) are more recent supporters. Watch WE-Zine and our website as we celebrate throughout the year and be sure to join us for a very special Anniversary Edition of The Working Lunch on May 25th at the Palmer House Grand Ballroom!
In gratitude and solidarity, |
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Registration is Open for The Working Lunch |
This year, Women Employed celebrates 50 years of Smashing the Status Quo for working women, and we want to celebrate with you! Please join us at The Working Lunch on Thursday, May 25, 2023 at the Palmer House Hilton in downtown Chicago.
The Working Lunch
Thursday, May 25, 2023
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
The Palmer House Hilton
(virtual access will also be available)
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Individual tickets are limited! So, please make sure to reserve your seats, today and be on the lookout for more exciting honoree announcements.
Questions? Please reach out to Jessica Swim at jswim@womenemployed.org.
Do you work for or know of a company that may be interested in sponsoring? Please reach out to Christina Perez at cperez@womenemployed.org.
WE look forward to seeing you there!
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30 Years of FMLA. Now It's Time For Paid Leave. |
This February marks the start of Women Employed’s 50th anniversary year AND the 30th anniversary of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). This landmark legislation was the first bill that President Bill Clinton signed into law in 1993, giving millions of workers in the United States the right to job-protected, unpaid family and medical leave when they are seriously ill, when members of their immediate family are ill, or when they are welcoming a new child.
Women Employed’s Director of Advocacy and Policy, Sarah Labadie, was invited to join President Biden, Vice President Harris, former President Clinton, Illinois Congresswoman Lauren Underwood, and partners at the White House in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the anniversary.
While the events celebrated the 30 years of FMLA, there was a common theme throughout: That unpaid leave is woefully insufficient and we, as a nation, need PAID family and medical leave. Indeed, in Illinois, 62 percent of workers cannot access FMLA, either because they are ineligible or because they cannot afford to take it.
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Women Employed is working hard to provide paid family and medical leave to all Illinois workers. The Illinois Time to Care Coalition, which WE leads, recently introduced bills in both the House (HB 1530) and Senate (SB 1234) that would provide workers with up to 26 weeks of paid, job-protected leave each year to manage longer-term care needs for themselves and their families. WE hosted a virtual bill launch press conference in early on February 8th with the Coalition and bill sponsors Sen. Sonya Harper and Rep. Ram Villivalam to urge the Illinois General Assembly to pass the bill.
During this event, speakers talked about the importance of paid leave—including WE’s own Christina Green, who shared a personal experience she had, before she joined Women Employed’s staff, when she gave birth to her son and did not have enough paid leave to heal and cover her needs. Watch her story.
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You can learn more about the bill and the Illinois Time to Care Coalition at iltimetocare.org.
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WE Celebrates Black History Month |
Black History Month is an opportunity to celebrate the history makers of yesterday, today, and tomorrow who have and who continue to shape our world for the better. As Women Employed commemorates 50 years of improving the economic status of women and removing barriers to equity, we celebrate the contributions of Black women who shine a light on issues that have been silenced for far too long and make an indelible impact for generations to come. Join us in celebrating the life and legacy of Black Women whose innovations and activism have blazed the trail for all of us.
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Know Your Rights to Equal Pay |
A recent study revealed that 4 out of 5 working women in Illinois don’t know their Equal Pay rights!
We need to change that, and you can help! Check out—and share!—our new Equal Pay Tip Sheet that we developed in partnership with the Illinois Department of Labor as part of our work on the FARE Grant. It is now available in 8 languages: English, Spanish, Polish, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Tagalog, Arabic, and Korean.
The webpage also includes other resources, such as an FAQ, tips on salary negotiations, and information about what you can do if you feel your rights have been violated.
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“She Says” with Efrata Sasahulih |
When talking about full circle moments, Women Employed’s Efrata Sasahulih is the perfect example. The Program and Research Coordinator was first introduced to WE in 2019 when she was encouraged to apply for The Pattis Family Foundation Summer Leadership Program―a program for undergraduate college students looking to gain insight into nonprofit work and receive professional skill-building, leadership training, front-line research, and awareness of the barriers low-paid workers experience. Little did Efrata know that her experience as a Summer Leader would open the door to her to become a WE staff member four years later―a moment that she says makes her feel wanted and valued for the skills that she possesses. It also serves as a reminder of the impression she left on staff members during her time as a Summer Leader, an experience she will never forget.
In this month’s edition of “She Says,” Efrata Sasahulih shares what stood out to her about the Summer Leadership Program, how it prepared her for life after college, and what advice she would give to future Summer Leaders.
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Summer Leadership Program applications are open from now until March 27th. For more information and to apply, visit https://womenemployed.org/summer-leadership-program/.
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Where in the World is Women Employed? |
Since the start of 2023, Women Employed (WE) has hit the ground running! Kicking off our 50th Anniversary year, WE has not only maintained our presence at the forefront of nearly every major advancement for working women in the U.S., we have also been present at quite a few events around the city of Chicago. Starting with the Mayoral Forum on January 14th, to our most recent Advocacy Council Meeting, Women Employed has proven that our activism doesn’t just stop at the office.
Missed out? Here’s a recap of where WE has been. |
And be sure to visit the events page on our website so you can be kept in loop about where Women Employed is going next and how you can be involved. |
ASPIRE: Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Headed |
Through phase I of the Accelerating Student Progress and Increasing Racial Equity (ASPIRE) project we learned a lot about where colleges are at in terms of developmental education reform, where they are headed, and what supports they need to get there. As phase II begins, we are excited to offer the colleges we are working with more robust supports and are looking forward to kicking off phase II of the project with a speaker series on racial equity and inclusion (REI) in higher education.
The ASPIRE project was created in response to the Developmental Education Reform Act (DERA) which aims to address inequities in college completion among students of color and first-generation students. Passed in March 2021, the act requires public colleges in Illinois to reform their developmental education (dev ed) programs—the introductory math and English classes students may need to improve their skills, before they can take a college-level math or English class—so that students can enter a credit-bearing, college-level math or English course by their second semester.
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Register for the Next Mayoral Forum |
In anticipation of a Chicago Mayoral election runoff, please save the date for the 2023 Women’s Mayoral runoff forum, hosted by the Chicago Women Take Action Alliance, and led by Women Employed’s very own Chief of Staff, Mary Kay Devine.
The forum will be held on March 11th from 2-4 p.m. at the Chicago Temple Theatre. Tickets are free, but you must register in advance.
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Is your employer on the list? |
Each year, an estimated $4 - $7 billion dollars that companies are willing to contribute to nonprofits through employee matching gift programs goes unclaimed. Imagine the impact nonprofits could have with those untapped resources! February is Matching Gift Month, so please help us take advantage of these funds and check today to see if your company has a matching gift program. By doing so, you can double—or even triple—the impact of your donation to Women Employed.
Questions? Please reach out to Amanda at asousa@womenemployed.org.
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