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 our 2020 annual report, and scroll down to watch people tell their own stories about the impact of our essential work!
Valencia Garrett
Customer Service Employee, on the importance of paid leave.
“After my C-section, I went back to work in two weeks. I felt like the only choice I had was to go back to work… If I would have stayed on maternity leave for much longer, I probably would have been in debt.”
Fernando Villeda Flamenco
Transition Specialist at City Colleges of Chicago
“Education makes a huge difference. I believe in empowering students to the very core of their lives by helping them explore careers, explore their own skills and abilities, and help them start setting up goals for the future. Women Employed does just that.”
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“I am a decades-long and very proud supporter of Women Employed. One thing I love most about WE is that it continually evolves to focus on the most important and timely issues for the women who need it most. WE’s work is research-based and accomplished in collaboration with a broad range of nonprofit, governmental, and corporate colleagues. And most importantly, WE gets results! It improves the lives and opportunities of individual women as well as their families and communities.”
-Janice E. Rodgers