2009 Stepping Stones Research Briefing audio and presentations now available!

Posted on May 29, 2009 by Lisa Kays

We’re pleased to announce that the audio and presentations from the 2009 Stepping Stones Research Briefing are now available online, thanks to our partner and co-sponsor, The Urban Institute.

This year’s briefing focused on the realities facing low-income women and their families in the current recession, as well as strategies to help them cope.

Speakers at this year’s briefing included Heather Boushey from the Center for American Progress, Ed Lazere with the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, Marty Schwartz with Vehicles for Change and more.

The briefing was also live-Tweeted @TheWomensFndtn with hashtag #SSRB.

Lisa Kays is The Women’s Foundation’s Director of Communications.

First Lady Michelle Obama visits Mary's Center!

Posted on February 13, 2009 by Maria Gomez

Yesterday, First Lady Michelle Obama visited Mary’s Center to learn about the work done by our organization for families and children in the nation’s capital.

Her first official visit to a D.C.-based nonprofit was a great honor for all of us who have been involved in Mary’s Center. She recognized our accomplishments over the last 20 years, providing a safety net and improving the health and well being of thousands of families in our community.

During her time with us, I talked with Mrs. Obama about the multiple needs of our clients and the uniqueness of the Mary’s Center model of comprehensive services. She was deeply touched by the powerful personal accounts of several of our participants, who spoke about the impact that Mary’s Center has had on their lives and how we have helped to strengthen their communities in countless positive ways.

The First Lady read Brown Bear Brown Bear to a group of toddlers from our Family Literacy Program and inspired our Teen Program participants with her words of hope.

We at Mary’s Center are on the front lines of the most critical issues facing our country today. Every day, through our work, we are proving that transformational change is possible.

I hope that through this visit, Mrs. Obama deepened her understanding of the issues affecting our nation’s most vulnerable families and children. I also hope that she views our comprehensive social change model as a solution that could be replicated throughout the country to improve the health and well being of our underserved citizens.

As all of you know, the stimulus package before Congress includes aspects of many health services provided by organizations like Mary’s Center. Moving forward, we look forward to advising Mrs. Obama’s staff on how to implement the policies that will result from the package, particularly those that directly affect women and children.

As we cherish the opportunity of being the first community organization officially visited by the First Lady, we also look forward to the Obama Administration’s initiatives to improve health access through a comprehensive health reform that will benefit the communities we serve.

For photos and more information about the First Lady’s visit to Mary’s Center:
DCist coverage
Washington Grantmakers coverage
Mary’s Center Web site

Maria S. Gomez, RN, MPH, is president and CEO of Mary’s Center, a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation.

Ledbetter Act doesn't solve the problem of fair pay. That's up to us.

Posted on February 3, 2009 by Sharon Levin

Last week, President Obama signed his very first bill and it was on a key economic issue for women – fair pay. What a wonderful and symbolic way to start the new Administration. I am thrilled by all of this.

But, I have to admit that I do have some concerns about our next steps in the fight for equal pay for equal work .

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act reverses a Supreme Court decision from 2007 that ignored decades of legal precedent and closed the courts to women and minorities seeking redress from employees who had discriminated against them. (Please note, in Ledbetter’s case, a lower court found that she had – in fact – been discriminated against. The Supreme Court didn’t disagree with that fact; it just disagreed about when she should have filed the case.)

There are a lot of things to celebrate about the President’s signing of the Ledbetter bill:

It signals to the country that discrimination against women and any type of wage discrimination will be taken seriously by the Administration.
It tells the nation that the President understands the concerns of working women and their families and that he is on our side.
It proves a political theory that I have long believed to be true. Most polls show that fair pay is a top issue for women. Many of us have said that if we can show that government can make a difference in this area, women will vote based on it. President Obama campaigned with Lilly Ledbetter and made this a signature issue of his campaign. And, as we know, many more women voted for him than voted for McCain.
As a legal matter, the Supreme Court’s 2007 decision needed to be fixed and the law needed to be returned to the pre-2007 standard if our anti-discrimination laws were to have any teeth.

So, why do I have concerns?

We must remember that this bill does not move us forward in our fight for fair wages. It – very necessarily – bring us back to where we were two years ago. And, in 2007, we had not made any real dents in the wage gap for 20 years.

We still have a lot of work to do.

My fear is that – as so often happens in our media age of sound bites – the message that people will take from the press coverage of the bill signing is that this new law solves the problem of the wage gap completely.

It doesn’t.

I am also concerned that when we turn to Congress to address the “nitty gritty” of dealing with the wage gap, they will say, “We’ve already done something on equal pay. You’ve had your day and we have other issues to address.”

And, my final worry is that the tremendous political support for fair wages that was created during the campaign will dissipate now that the Ledbetter bill has been passed.

Now, while public attention is still on the wage gap, we have to start building the case for the measures that are needed to really bring men’s and women’s wages into equity: we need women to be able move from the lowest paying jobs to jobs that allow them to support their families; we need laws that support work-family balance so that working moms are not penalized at the office; and, we need employers to bring transparency to the wages that they pay so that their employees will know if they are being treated unfairly.

I thank President Obama for making fair pay the focus of his first bill signing. And, I salute Lilly Ledbetter for her tremendous courage and effort to make sure other women don’t face the same discrimination that she did.

We must take advantage of the opportunity that they have given us to really create a public conversation on the wage gap. To do anything less would be a failure to honor both of their work.

Sharon Levin is The Women’s Foundation’s director of policy advocacy.

The Obama Administration's priorities on women…

Posted on January 23, 2009 by Lisa Kays

Well, while probably not in direct response to our requests of the new Obama Administration on behalf of women, the Administration has developed a Web resource covering their priorities and issues, and women are on the agenda–one of the 23 priority areas.

I for one, was pleased to see women getting their own agenda item, rather than being rolled in as a footnote into policies on family or health care or education, as is so often the case.

The Administration’s page on women covers priorities and policies related to health care, reproductive choice, preventing violence against women, economic issues, national security, poverty and education–all seen through a gender lens.

The page is worth checking out. After you do, let us know your thoughts. Do you think it goes far enough? Is it leaving anything out?

Lisa Kays is The Women’s Foundation’s director of communications.

Dear Mr. President…

Posted on January 21, 2009 by Lisa Kays

On the day after President Obama was sworn in just a few blocks from our office, the staff of The Women’s Foundation thought we’d offer our congratulations, along with (of course) a few items for our wish list of action on the part of the new President.

So, in the spirit of, "Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America," we respectfully ask:

Dear Mr. President, Please be holistic in your policies to improve the economic security of low-income women with children. We know what works – although we don’t always act as if we really do. Good policies and programs include income support (or paid time off for participating in training or re-training), child care and transportation (critical work supports), access to health (including dental and biopsychosocial) assessments and services, financial education (debt reduction, credit repair, savings) and access to other needed social services. They also cannot stop when the woman walks out of the training program and into a new job." Sincerely, Gwen Rubinstein

Dear Mr. President, I urge you to take immediate action to reverse the damage done by new rule adopted in the 11th hour of the Bush Administration, which allows individual health care providers to deny critical information to patients based on the providers’ personal biases. The patient may not even know what’s missing. This rule is particularly damaging for low-income women whose access to health care is already limited. Please, tell congress to withdraw this damaging rule. I also ask that you invest in a new green economy. Not only will you work to stop global warming, but you can revitalize our economy through new job growth. We know the best way to improve the lives of communities is to stabilize family income. New jobs in high-growth industries such as this one will go a long way to improving our homes and country, inside and out. Thanks! Allison Mitchell

Dear President Obama, My wish for your administration is that every time you consider a policy or program, you think about the amazing and strong women in your life – your wife, daughters, sister, mother-in-law, mother and grandmother – and think about what that policy would mean for them. Would it keep them safe or put them at risk? Would it open the door to new opportunities for them or shut them out? Given the incredible impact on your life that all of these women have had already, their continued guidance can only ensure that your message of hope, inclusiveness and understanding becomes a reality during your administration. Sincerely, Sharon Levin

Dear President Obama, I would ask you to keep in mind in your staffing and appointments the importance of women’s leadership, which does make an impact in ensuring that decision-making reflects the needs, concerns and realities of women and families. In addition, just as you are a model of leadership for a new generation who will no longer see race as a barrier to achievement, so too is it important to have similar models for young women showing that gender need not pose a challenge or deterrant to any of their dreams and choices. Sincerely, Lisa Kays

Dear Mr. President, I hope that all little children to have access to quality early education programs so that they may succeed in school and life. Sincerely, HyeSook Chung

But most of all, we congratulate you, and wish you the best as you and your Administration work to lead our nation at a time of such challenge and opportunity.

Do you have any ideas or requests of the new President and his Administration for how they can work to improve the lives of women and girls? Leave them in comments!

Good news for working women!

Posted on January 12, 2009 by Sharon Levin

On Friday, the House of Representatives passed two bills that would greatly improve the ability of women and other employees to bring claims of wage discrimination. President-Elect Obama has said that he would like to sign the bills — the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act — in his first days in office. So, if the Senate moves quickly to pass both bills we could take an important step towards pay equity in the next few weeks.

The provisions of the bills include:

The correction of a Supreme Court decision that incorrectly bars many (if not most) wage discrimination cases from being heard in Court;
An increase in the remedies available to women who win wage discrimination suits and the easing of rules that allow women to bring class actions;
Procedures to bring greater attention to model employers so that others can emulate “best practices;”’ and,
A prohibition of employer retaliation against those who file wage discrimination cases.

Women still only earn 78 cents for every dollar earned by men.

The passage of these laws will allow women who have been paid less than they are worth to seek justice.

You can help to have these two bills passed quickly by contacting your Senators and urging them to support both the Ledbetter and the Paycheck Fairness Acts. You can reach them at www.senate.gov or 202.224.3121.

Think about what a great way this would be to start the New Year!

Sharon Levin is The Women’s Foundation’s Director of Policy Advocacy.

Friday News Round-Up: News and Analysis on Women and Poverty

Posted on November 14, 2008 by The Spotlight and Opportunity Team

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity and The Women’s Foundation are teaming up to provide the latest news, analysis and opinion on the state of low-income women and their families!

Spotlight, a national foundation-led initiative, is excited to collaborate with The Women’s Foundation to bring you the latest news and analysis on women and poverty each week.

The country’s economic downturn has taken a particularly harsh toll on low-income families. During this past campaign season, Spotlight tracked the growing focus on the issues of poverty and economic opportunity by candidates running for office. Now, with the transition to a new president and Congress, Spotlight has re-launched its Web site to ensure that our political leaders take significant actions to follow though on their pledges.

Our new site features a section focused on the role of family well-being in fighting poverty, including key research, analysis and news on efforts to strengthen America’s poor working families, the majority of which are headed by single mothers. We will also continue to highlight these issues in our “Exclusive Commentary” section. Just this week, Andrea Kane, senior director for policy and partnerships at the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, contributed a piece detailed the link between poverty and unplanned pregnancy.

Spotlight will remain the go-to site for news and ideas about fighting poverty.

Here are this week’s top stories on women and poverty:

o Single working moms have had it toughest, reports the New York Times, in a piece about how the working poor have been especially hard hit during the economic crisis.

o The Contra Costa Times covers a dispute between California and the federal government that may imperil a successful family planning program for the poor.

o The economic downturn is creating tension within working families (from the Toledo Blade).

o The Wichita Falls Times-Record writes about a child care agency that helps single working parents provide for their kids during a meager holiday season.

o Parents, many of them single moms, have been forced to pull kids from day care during the economic crisis, according to the Buffalo News.

o The Kansas City Star covers a study of women’s career and financial literacy.

o The Detroit News says that the growing homeless population includes large numbers of pregnant women and families.

The Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity Team

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity is a foundation-led, non-partisan initiative aimed at ensuring that our political leaders take significant actions to reduce poverty and increase opportunity in the United States. We bring together diverse perspectives from the political, policy, advocacy and foundation communities to engage in an ongoing dialogue focused on finding genuine solutions to the economic hardship confronting millions of Americans.

To learn more about Spotlight visit www.spotlightonpoverty.org. To sign up for Spotlight’s weekly updates with the latest news, opinion and research from around the country, click here.

Conversation on poverty in Montgomery County generates more than just talk.

Posted on October 2, 2008 by Sharon Levin

Last week, I was one of the lucky people who participated in the “Conversation on Poverty in Montgomery County” that Rebecca Wagner, Executive Director of Interfaith Works, blogged about last week.

The session that I attended was wonderful.

The room was filled with a cross-section of the Montgomery County community — concerned citizens, religious leaders, government representatives, philanthropists, advocates, direct service providers–the list goes on. And, everyone was committed to having a very serious conversation about poverty in Montgomery County.

Now, I must make a confession. Generally, I am not a big fan of facilitated meetings like this. Far too often, they consist of hours of talk that often veer off subject and lead to nothing happening.

And a year later, we have the same meeting and the same discussion again.

The conversation that Rebecca organized was just the opposite.

I participated in in-depth discussions about the challenges of bringing attention to the needs of the poor in Montgomery County when the public perception is that there isn’t much poverty in the County because it is so wealthy.

Sadly, the fact is that there are tens of thousands of people living below the federal poverty line in Montgomery County. And, because the cost of living in the County is so high, there are even more people who live there but cannot afford to support themselves and their families.

In addition, the County is very large and its population is very diverse (we tend to forget that there are still farms in Montgomery County), which poses unique obstacles to providing services that are accessible and appropriate. And, the demographic make-up of the County has been changing rapidly, which makes it hard for service-providers to keep up with the need.

The great news is that these Conversations have accomplished Interfaith Works’ goal – as a result of these convenings, other meetings are going to be held.

Most notably, the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services is going to host a meeting on October 10th to discuss an agenda to address these problems. For more information about this meeting, please contact Diana Day at the County HHS.

Here at The Women’s Foundation, this conversation feeds into our work in many ways. It sets the stage for some meetings we will be holding on women and poverty later this year. It informs us of the needs in the County as we formulate our funding priorities for the next year. And, it gives us the opportunity to learn about the work being done by nonprofits that we may not have worked with yet.

All in all, the Conversation on Poverty was a true success.

Sharon Levin is The Women’s Foundation’s Director of Policy Advocacy.

Girls in Wards 7 and 8 pose tough questions for DC Council candidates.

Posted on September 8, 2008 by Debbie Billet-Roumell

In a new report released last week by the D.C. Women’s Agenda, ninth grade girls residing in Hillcrest, Naylor Gardens and Woodland Terrace challenged DC Council candidates for Wards 7 and 8 and At-Large positions to answer questions about daily hardships they must confront.

The girls’ questions included issues related to lack of concentration in schools due to no walls; rats and mice in the school; the need for extra tutoring and teachers; unsanitary bathrooms in schools; security on metro buses; surveillance cameras at street intersections; neighborhood watch programs; curfews for youth; and, other questions relating to health insurance and affordable housing.

All of the candidates offered numerous proposed solutions to the many problems raised by the girls. In response to the problems of rats in the school, Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander planned to work with Allen Lew, head of the new Office of Public Education School Modernization to “ensure that our schools are rodent free.” She encouraged students to “e-mail [her] every time a rodent is seen in a school.” Ward 8 Candidate Howard Brown offered a different solution: “I would recommend that the school include rodent and pest control in the curriculum. I would propose an educational program that teaches the science of why rodents dwell in our facilities, and how to eliminate the problem.” Ward 8 Candidate Charles Wilson said he, “will work with the District rodent task force to rid our schools of mice, rats and other rodents.”

I spoke up and noted that while it is important to examine the candidates’ responses to these problems, it is essential for the D.C. community—including all elected officials—to take note of what these girls are experiencing. The D.C. Women’s Agenda believes that these questions go to the heart of the policy matters that must be addressed when the DC Council enacts legislation addressing problems of youth in our city. We will continue to bring these concerns to all of the newly elected and sitting officials in the Council this fall, I explained.

The report, 2008 Election Guide/ Supplemental Questions and Candidates’ Responses from Girls in Wards 7 & 8, details candidates’ responses to questions that came directly from girls in Wards 7 and 8. The guide is designed to help voters understand candidates’ positions on girls issues related to schools and libraries, safety, health, and housing.

Debbie Billet-Roumell is the coordinator of the DC Women’s Agenda, a Grantee Partner of The Women’s Foundation that is a coalition of advocacy organizations, service providers, and individuals working to promote the advancement of equality, safety and well-being for women and girls in the District. It is chaired by the DC Employment Justice Center and Wider Opportunities for Women.

The Election Guide is available online or by requesting a hard copy at DBRoumell@wowonline.org.

DCWA: DC Council candidates respond to issues important to local women.

Posted on September 4, 2008 by Debbie Billet-Roumell

In an election guide released this week by the DC Women’s Agenda, DC Council candidates were challenged to find solutions to staggering issues confronting women and girls in DC, including the facts that 12% of DC women lack health insurance; 25,000 individuals, primarily women, are on the DC Housing Authority wait list for affordable housing; and, 9% of babies born with HIV/AIDS nationwide come from DC.

In response to a proposed policy that would support the adjustment to inflation each year for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) (currently at 19% of the federal poverty line), the At-Large candidates offered different point of views. Councilmember Kwame Brown said he would “consider supporting this option but would like to have more information…to ensure that this is the best option to improve the quality of life for our local parents and children,” and Candidate Patrick Mara said he “would need to assess the implications of such a policy change in light of the present budget situation.” Councilmember Carol Schwartz said she “favored adjusting the amounts of TANF benefits to account for inflation” and Candidate David Schwartzman said “a cost of living adjustment every year for TANF benefits is absolutely necessary.”

This issue is especially important when you consider that for a family of three, to meet their basic living expenses, they must pay $4,386 per month, according to Wider Opportunities for Women. Even with a variety of public benefits, including food stamps in the amount of $426 per month, Child Care and Development Fund Subsidy and Medicaid, families’ expenses are more than they can afford with the TANF benefit of only $427 a month.

The 2008 Election Guide/ Issues Affecting Women and Girls details candidates’ responses to questions related to women’s issues in the upcoming election and is designed to help voters understand candidates’ positions on issues related to health care, housing/homelessness, wages, benefits and economic self-sufficiency, teens and child care. The D.C. Women’s Agenda calls for candidates to focus on the issues facing women and girls and encourages D.C. residents to expect the same of the candidates – both now and after the elections in the fall.