Research Reports and Policy Briefs
Research 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.
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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.
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2022
Building Workplaces Where Women Can Thrive: Centering Equity at the Intersection of Gender and Race
The best jobs engage their employees in meaningful work they can be proud of, recognize workers and their achievements, and encourage a sense of belonging to the workplace and workforce. These supports should address both basic needs like livable wages and safe working conditions, as well as higher-level concerns like equitable and inclusive work environments. In this white paper, we outline what it means to build an equitable workplace, and why both basic and higher-level supports are necessary to ensure women can be effective, productive, and successful at work.
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2022
Intersecting Barriers: Challenges to Economic Empowerment for Domestic Violence Survivors
This research report, produced with support from the Michael Reese Health Trust, introduces the results of new research investigating the needs and gaps faced by survivors of domestic violence in the Chicago metropolitan area, and leverage the insights of workforce development professionals, domestic violence advocates, and survivors themselves in recommending policy and practice solutions.
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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
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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2018
Progress, Pathways, and Possibilities: How a Shared Vision Put a System to Work
This piece takes the reader through the different parts of our work to establish and expand career pathways in Chicago and Illinois, beginning with Shifting Gears in the early 2000s and looking forward to a yet-unrealized future. It includes bridge programs, Career Foundations, and the career pathways definition, as well as stories from students and detail about how progress on career pathways has been made.
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2015
Good for Students, Good for Colleges: Investing in Bridge Programs as a Strategy for Success
Community colleges are at a crossroads. Pressure is mounting to increase enrollment and improve retention. At the same time, there are millions of adults who would benefit from a college education, but who lack a high school degree. Bridge programs provide a solution that will serve these adults, improve college enrollment and retention numbers, and even generate revenue for colleges.
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2015
Good for Students, Good for Colleges: Bridge Programs Investments and Returns Worksheet
This worksheet is a companion to the policy brief, Good for Students, Good for Colleges: Investing in Bridge Programs as a Strategy for Success to allow colleges to calculate their projected return on investment for implementing bridge programs.
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