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Women Employed is a nonprofit advocacy organization based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1973, Women Employed's mission is to improve women's economic status and remove barriers to economic equity. They promote fair workplace practices, increase access to training and education, and provide women with tools and information to move into careers paying family-supporting wages.〔(Women Employed: Our Mission )〕 ==History== In February 1973, a small group of Chicago women founded Women Employed (WE), through an initiative of the Loop YWCA. Organizers intended to mobilize networks of female workers around the common issues that affect their lives.〔Evans, Sara Margaret. ''Born for Liberty: A History of Women in America''. p. 299.〕 Women Employed's first major public event, attended by over 200 women, was a meeting of 26 of Chicago's leading corporations to discuss fair employment policies for women.〔Women Employed, ''Women and Work: Shaping the Future'', June 1993.〕 In its first year, WE published ''Working Women in the Loop – Underpaid, Undervalued'', an investigation that used 1970 U.S. Census data on wages and employment patterns to expose substantial inequalities between women and men. The study found that women made up 45% of downtown Chicago's labor force, yet earned only 25% of wages.〔Women Employed, ''Working Women in the Loop – Underpaid, Undervalued'', 1973.〕 In the 1970s, Women Employed worked for economic equality alongside organizations in Chicago like the Coalition of Labor Union Women. During that time, Women Employed fought hiring and job discrimination for non-union women in the city.〔Flanagan, Maureen A. "Feminist Movements" ''The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago''. 2005.〕 By organizing public and legal actions, WE influenced workplace practices by affecting the public's attitude toward equality for women.〔Lunardini, Christine. ''What Every American Should Know About Women's History: 200 Events That Shaped Our Destiny''. 1997.〕 In 1977, WE led a series of public actions against the firing of Iris Rivera, a Chicago legal secretary who lost her job because she refused to make coffee for her boss. WE eventually got Rivera her job back.〔 In 1989, Women Employed helped women and minority employees of the Harris Trust and Savings Bank win $15 million in back pay, a record settlement for sexual and racial discrimination. Women Employed filed a complaint with the Federal Government against Harris in 1974 on the basis of Executive Order 11246. Prior to this case, companies were never forced to make payments surpassing $10 million in back wages for sex or racial discrimination cases.〔Shenon, Philip. "Chicago Bank to Pay $14 Million In Resolving Discrimination Case." ''The New York Times''. 11 January 1989.〕 WE also worked with a national coalition to win passage of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act in 1993, which ensures employees up to 12 weeks of leave for medical purposes.〔Kleiman, Carol. ''Chicago Tribune Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News'' 5 February 2002〕 In 2003, WE helped pass the Illinois Equal Pay Act, which guarantees protection of equal pay for equal work to hundreds of thousands of workers not covered under the federal law.〔Office of the Governor of Illinois. (Gov. Blagojevich marks anniversary of Illinois’ Equal Pay Act by highlighting enforcement successes since law went into effect in 2004. ) Press Release. 26 April 2007〕 In 2006, WE helped win $34.4 million in funding for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant, making college more accessible to more than 150,000 low-income students in Illinois.〔Rubin, Bonnie M. ("Group helps rewrite woman's future by opening college door." ) ''Chicago Tribune''. Sec. 4. 10 December 2006.〕 WE was part of a national coalition that advocated for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first women's rights legislation passed during the Obama administration.〔U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Education and Labor. (Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act ). 26 July 2010.〕 This law, signed in early 2009, increases employees' ability to fight pay discrimination. In 2010, the US Department of Labor selected WE's (Career Coach ) as a Top 10 Career Exploration Tool.〔US Department of Labor. (Career Exploration Tools ). 24 August 2010.〕 Career Coach enables low-income, low-literacy adults to explore career options, define career goals, and identify local education and training resources.〔Johnson, Amy. "Encouraging Career Asset Building Among Low-Income Individuals" National Career Development Association. 28 July 2010.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Women Employed」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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