Women Employed

"As the world prepares to turn its eyes to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention in August, there will be much to watch and discuss. Our hope is that part of the discussion is focused on what keeps the city humming: the world-class working women at the center of it all. There is no doubt DNC speakers will highlight workers and the strength of the labor movement, especially in Chicago. But we want to be sure the women workers, who make up more than 60% of the low-paid workforce in Illinois, get their due as well." Continue reading our EVP of Policy, Programs and Research, Sharmili Majmudar's Letter To the Editor in today's Chicago Sun-Times here: https://ow.ly/tY3y50SGofb

"While everyone - all colors - everyone is affected by stigma - no one wants to say 'I'm not in control of my mind.' No one wants to say, 'The person I love is not in control of [their] mind.' But people of color really don't want to say it because we already feel stigmatized by virtue of skin color or eye shape or accent and we don't want any more reasons for anyone to say, 'You're not good enough.” -Bebe Moore Campbell Thanks to Campbell, July is #BIPOCMentalHealthMonth. This month we are dismantling stigmas, fostering generational conversations, and promoting mental health equity. #BIPOC communities experience a range of discrimination, oppression, and systemic racism that can lead to collective and individual trauma. We must #BeTheSourceForBetterHealth. #BeWell #Self-Care

Last month, The NCBW Chicago Metropolitan (National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Chicago Metropolitan Chapter) held their 2024 leadership conference in Chicago. WE’s President and CEO, Cherita Ellens, led a session on the first day of the conference called “Economic Empowerment: Reimagining Retirement Advocacy.” Over 700 attendees were present as Cherita shared an overview of Women Employed, why retirement advocacy matters, and information on Black women’s retirement planning and preparedness at every age. Cheers to a successful event! 🍾

🎉 We did it! Thanks to YOU, our amazing supporters, Women Employed has been named a 2024 Top-Rated Nonprofit at GreatNonprofits!! Thanks to your votes, we have been entered to win a $20,000 media package from Great Nonprofits enabling us to widen our audience and share our work to benefit even more people! As part of this stellar media package, WE will: • Be featured in a GreatNonprofits blog post. • Mentioned on Twitter and Facebook. • Be profiled in a Great Nonprofits' email to over 400K donors. • Have prominent placement on the GreatNonprofits' website. WE thank you for your continued support! And fingers crossed🤞🏽we just might win! Stay tuned!

Join the Chicago White Sox for #WomensEqualityNight on August 26th as they take on the Detroit Tigers at 7:10pm! Access to discounted tickets where a portion of proceeds of ticket sales will benefit Women Employed can be purchased here: https://lnkd.in/gA2aCjbx. *Purchase deadline: 8/26! Play ball! ⚾

Today is #BlackWomensEqualPayDay and based on Census data from 2022, the average Black woman earns just 66¢ compared to a non-Hispanic white man's $1 when looking at both full- and part-time workers. Since our country’s founding, racism and sexism have shaped the structure of our economy, laws and policies. As a result, pay discrimination and occupational segregation—the segregation of women into low-paid and undervalued jobs—have long inflicted harm upon Black women in the workforce. The resulting injustice affects individuals on a personal level, as well as their children, families, communities, and our economy. Changing this is intricately tied to fair and equitable wages, better jobs, and equal opportunities. The need for both #EqualPay and higher pay is urgent. Institutional racism is a thing, and combating it is a large part of the reason for observing #BlackWomensEqualPayDay. Join us for the social media storm 🌪️ between 1:00 p.m.—2:00 p.m. CT, where advocates, lawmakers, and community members nationwide raise awareness on Twitter/X about the #WageGap that impacts Black women and their families!

📢 #ICYMI — If you work in Chicago, you may have started the summer with new workplace rights! As of July 1st, the Chicago Paid Leave and Paid Sick Leave Ordinance took effect. The new law impacts 1.1 million Chicago workers who did not previously have this workplace benefit, giving them the right to earn and use up to 5 days of paid time off! For more information about your NEW rights visit: sicktimechicago.org 🎉 *NOTE: Workers outside Chicago may have different rights due to local laws. #ChicagoPaidLeave

Coalition on Adult Basic Education, COABE, recently launched the Educate & Elevate America Pledge, a nationwide initiative to demonstrate the vital importance of #AdultEducation. Why This Matters: #AdultEducation helps non-traditional students succeed. Adult learners who may have been out of school for a while and need to brush up on their basic skills and often work while attending school. These education and training programs meet adults where they are on their educational journey and put them on a solid track to build their skills, develop an academic plan and a clear route to certification or degree, and ultimately access to better jobs. 1. Sign the Pledge: https://ow.ly/xRrL50Su3ZK 2. Share widely: Encourage your friends, family, colleagues, and social networks to sign & share the pledge. Every signature counts, and together, we can make a significant impact. Let's help COABE reach their goal of 1 million signatures!

Last month, WE’s ASPIRE Senior Program Manager, Christina E. Green, Ph.D. attended a convening of states in the Great Lakes region at Malcolm X College. Christina was joined by representatives from the Illinois Community College Board, State of Illinois - Illinois Student Assistance Commission, Partnership for College Completion, and Young Invincibles. The two-day gathering focused on improving postsecondary student basic needs, with each state team sharing areas of strength, developing areas, and areas that need improvement regarding basic needs benefits and resources for postsecondary students. Find out more about Where in the World is Women Employed here: https://ow.ly/NnTc50SwcOW

Today's Fourth of July holiday commemorates the United States' Declaration of Independence and is a nationwide celebration of freedom. However, it is difficult to celebrate that freedom due to constant oppression towards Black and Indigenous communities, the fight for women's rights, and demand for equitable workplaces. True freedom is ensuring equity for all and not just a select few. And here at Women Employed, we are hard at work everyday fighting to dismantle those systems that keep groups of individuals from having access to freely live the life they deserve. WE ask that you take action and join us in this fight by signing up for our action network or support our work by donating to Women Employed. With your help, we can continue to pursue equity and ensure "Liberty and Justice for ALL". https://lnkd.in/g4FnTss