Women Employed

AT NO COST TO YOU, GET FUNDING FOR Women Employed WHEN YOU:
Buy a Home / Sell a Home / Lease Commercial Property

Learn how it works

Buying, Selling, & Leasing Can Support Equal Pay for Women

From its beginnings as a small advocacy organization based in Chicago, Illinois, Women Employed (WE) is making history every day as a voice for America’s working women. As a member of Investing In Communities®, Women Employed can receive funding as a result of any real estate transaction – home sales, home purchases, or commercial leases. Already, $20,000 has been raised as a result of a commercial lease. As more supporters use this platform before engaging an agent, WE will  have more funds to advocate for fair and inclusive workplaces in Illinois.

The mission of WE is simple: advocate for women to gain equity in the workplace and beyond. This top-rated nonprofit is committed to helping women advance economically and access the education and training they need to qualify for the jobs they want. 

Successes

Founded in 1973, WE is breaking down doors and crashing through glass ceilings by transforming the world of work for women. They have done so by fighting the institutional obstacles that many businesses have placed in the way of women in the workplace. Among their many efforts to make workplaces more fair and equitable are these initiatives:

• Fighting to outlaw sexual harassment and pregnancy discrimination
• Working to change public policies and workplace practices such as pay discrimination 
• Advocating enforcement of federal equal opportunity laws and policies
• Expanding educational opportunities and promoting college success for women
• Advocating for changes that led to the passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act and  the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

Financial Aid

Women Employed knows that women with Bachelor degrees make more money than women without them, but women also account for two thirds of the country’s $1.4 trillion of student debt. To help protect women from crippling debt and still get the education they need to succeed, Women Employed: Ensures that low income students receive the grants they qualify for; and

Advocates for legislation which protects student borrowers, such as the Student Loan Bill of Rights, on which they worked with the Illinois Attorney General’s office to pass in 2017. 

Career Pathways

Women Employed offers support for non-traditional adult students by:

• Providing Career Pathway lesson plans;
• Hosting Career Foundation and Bridge Programs for fields such as healthcare, early education, and transportation, placing women on the right track for the career they want;
• Distributing education news and policy updates through their newsletter, Blackboard; 
• Working directly with the state of Illinois to define “career pathways” in order to pave clear roads to successful careers; and
• Promoting student success by reevaluating and suggesting changes in Illinois’ developmental education.

Paid Sick Time and Leave

Women Employed has championed the push to ensure that every Illinois employee is able to take time off for family and medical needs when they inevitably arise. Efforts include:

• Leading the Illinois Paid Leave Coalition;
• Heading up the Sick Time Chicago Coalition; and
• Supporting Arise Chicago, Chicago Foundation for Women, the Shriver Center, and UFCW.

Sexual Harassment

To ensure that no women of any background or orientation have to experience sexual harassment in the workplace, Women Employed is:

• Ensuring that existing sexual harassment laws are enforced;
• Supporting organizations like Hands Off Pants On, which works to protect hotel workers from sexual harassment; and
• Advocating for legislation that erases the subminimum wages for tipped employees that can put vulnerable women at risk for sexual harassment.

Equal Pay

Women Employed combats the wage gap that exists between men and women, and different ethnic groups, advocating for equity for women in the workplace and fair and inclusive workplaces nationwide by:

• Raising Awareness with national organizations like the National Women’s Law Center and AAUW;
• Advocating for a No Wage History law and the Paycheck Fairness Act in Illinois; and
• Successfully helping raise the Illinois minimum wage.

Pregnancy Fairness

Women Employed believes women should not have to choose between having a family or their job. They have helped pass legislation that offers reasonable accommodations to pregnant women while offering information that informs them of their rights in the state of Illinois.     

Your Purchase, Sale, or Lease Promotes Fairer Employment for Women

At no cost to themselves, anyone who cares about advocating for fair and inclusive workplaces for women can turn virtually any brokered real estate transaction into funding for Women Employed. For example, the purchase or sale of a $300,000 home can result in about $1,300 of free funding. Support their mission by using IIC’s free platform to make arrangements with an agent you already have in mind. Or use IIC to find and choose among real estate agents that are appropriate for the specifics of your residential or commercial real estate needs. Ready to start?