Advocacy and Activism
Fact Sheet
2024
2024 Women Employed Legislative Agenda
Women Employed is leading or co-leading with partners to advance a number of priorities in 2024. These priorities will ensure that women—especially women in low-paid jobs and Black and Latina/x women—can build their income and wealth. Read our full legislative agenda for more.
READ MOREFeaturedResearch Report/Policy Briefs
2024
Agenda del Poder Económico de las Mujeres para Illinois
Este informe es un conjunto de recomendaciones intersectoriales y de múltiples temas para desarrollar el poder económico de las mujeres en Illinois. Es el resultado de una conferencia de alto nivel de dos días a finales de 2023, que centró las voces de las trabajadoras que a menudo no están incluidas en las mesas de políticas y defensa, reuniéndolas con defensores, organizaciones políticas, centros de trabajadores, grupos laborales, propietarios de pequeñas empresas, y más.
DOWNLOADFeaturedResearch Report/Policy Briefs
2024
Women’s Economic Power Agenda for Illinois
This report is a cross-sector, multi-issue set of recommendations for building the economic power of women in Illinois. It is the outcome of a two-day summit in late 2023, which centered the voices of workers who are often not included at policy and advocacy tables, bringing them together with advocates, policy organizations, worker centers, labor groups, small business owners, and more.
DOWNLOADFeaturedProgram Guide/Lesson Plan/Curricula
2023
Building a Know Your Rights Campaign: Lessons Learned from the Illinois FARE Grant Equal Pay Project
Equal pay for equal work is the law, and in Illinois, there are additional laws protecting workers. However, many low-paid women, and particularly Black and Latina/x women, are not given access to that information. Women Employed recently partnered with the Illinois Department of Labor on a project to ensure women in Illinois learn about their equal pay rights. The project was funded by the the USDOL Women’s Bureau’s FARE Grant. In this report, we explain the process of building our campaign, including key takeaways, to provide guidance for employers, employees, and organizations wishing to do their own know-your-rights campaigns.
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2021
Domestic Workers’ Rights in Chicago
Domestic Workers in Chicago have a right to earn minimum wage, paid sick days, overtime pay, one day off per week, to be free from sexual harassment and starting January 1, 2022, all nannies, care workers, home cleaners and other domestic workers in Chicago have the right to a written contract. Learn more about these rights.
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2021
Highlights from Women Employed’s Wins in Illinois’ 2021 Spring Legislative Session
Join us in celebrating some major victories from the Illinois 2021 legislative session that were the direct result of tireless (virtual) advocacy our partners, our legislative champions, and the Women Employed team.
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2020
2020 Annual Report
The working people now considered essential have been at the heart of Women Employed’s mission since 1973. And our work this year to advance equity for all has also been essential. By improving job quality for all workers and leading the charge for paid leave in Illinois, working to advance access and racial equity in higher education, and strengthening our career pathways programs so people can secure jobs that provide family-sustaining wages, we made major advances in our work to pursue equity for all. Read more in or 2020 annual report, and scroll down to watch people tell their own stories about the impact of our essential work!
DOWNLOADTip/Tool/Template
2020
2020 Voter Mobilization Toolkit
If you’ve completed the census and have registered to vote and you’re eager to do more to ensure that other people’s voices are represented, this resource guide was made especially for you!
READ MOREResearch Report/Policy Briefs
2020
Advancing Racial Equity in Higher Education: Lessons from the States
While developing recommendations for how Illinois can take a comprehensive approach to racial equity in higher education, Women Employed conducted a landscape scan of states’ plans, policies, and initiatives to inform our recommendations. This document highlights efforts that Illinois can learn from and adapt, while specific recommendations for Illinois are available in the companion brief, “Advancing Racial Equity in Illinois Higher Education.”
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2020
Advancing Racial Equity in Illinois Higher Education
Read our recommendations to close racial equity gaps in enrollment, completion, and affordability in Illinois higher education.
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