WOMEN'S ECONOMIC
POWER AGENDA (WEPA)
For Illinois
On behalf of Women Employed and our partners on the Women’s Economic Power Agenda (WEPA) Summit Planning Committee, we’re excited to share with you the 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. We aimed to focus on solutions that would provide economic benefits to women in the short-term rather than ten years from now.
We hope you find this report useful, and reading over it, you are energized and inspired by all the great discussions and shared experiences from the summit as we all work together to build women’s economic power in Illinois. WEPA is all of us!
Share the Report and Its Recommendations
To learn more about the WEPA Summit and Report, please email Sharmili Majmudar.
WEPA Planning Partners
WEPA Participating Organizations
American Association of University Women (AAUW) Naperville Area
Alternatives, Inc.
American Heart Association
Black Alliance of Colleges and Employers (BACE)
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois
AIDS Foundation Chicago
Apna Ghar
Arise Chicago
Bella Reine Cosmetics, Inc
Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE)
Chicago Commons
Caring Across Generations
Chicago Jobs Council (CJC)
Chicago Metropolitan Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women (NCBW)
Chicago Women in Trades (CWIT)
City Colleges of Chicago (CCC)
Community Organizing and Family Issues (COFI)
Debeza Studio
DePaul University Labor Education Center
Equality Illinois
Girls Inc. of Chicago
Health & Medicine Policy Research Group (HMPRG)
Held at Home
Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline
Illinois Action for Children
Illinois Partners for Human Service
Jane Addams Resource Corporation (JARC)
KAN-WIN
League of Women Voters of Chicago
Life Span
Muslims for Just Futures
Mujeres Latinas en Acción
National Employment Lawyers Association Illinois Affiliate (NELA-Illinois)
One Fair Wage
Partnership for College Completion
Pilsen Community Market
Planned Parenthood of Illinois
Rainbow Café LGBTQ Center
Raise the Floor Alliance
SEIU Healthcare Illinois Indiana Missouri & Kansas
Shriver Center on Poverty Law
Small Business Majority
TaskForce Prevention & Community Services
Sunshine Enterprises
The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence
UNITE HERE Local 1
West Side United
Women Employed
YWCA Metropolitan Chicago
Thank You to Our Generous Sponsor
