Advocacy and Activism

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.

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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!

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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!

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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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2020

Illinois Paid Sick Days Activism Toolkit

No one should have to choose between their health—or even their life—and their  livelihood. Yet 1.5 million Illinoisans lack the right to a single paid sick day. Take a few minutes each month to keep the pressure on our Illinois legislators to pass
statewide paid sick days as soon as they reconvene in Springfield.

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2020

Women Employed’s 2020 Priorities

Making college affordable, accessible, and equitable. Strengthening career pathways to family-sustaining wages. Improving job quality for all working people. Advancing gender equity at work. Read about Women Employed’s 2020 priorities.

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Together, we will ensure more women, families, and communities can build their economic power and thrive.

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