Advocating for Successful Workplaces for Women and Employers.

Business and Professional Women’s Foundation partners with women, employers and policymakers to create successful workplaces that practice and embrace diversity, equity and work-life balance.

Through our groundbreaking research, our network of national supporters and our unique role as a convener of employers and employees, BPW Foundation leads the way in developing and advocating for polices and programs that “work” for both women and businesses. BPW Foundation has provided testimony and comments before Congress and the Administration on key issues.

Advocacy focus areas:

Equity and Access for Working Women –  BPW Foundation’s research examines workplace issues and informs its policy work. For the first time in history, there are four generations in the workforce at the same time. This multi-generational workplace presents new challenges and opportunities for both employees and employers. Equity and access for all generations of women is critical for the success of workplaces and families. Our advocacy has focused on pay equity, financial and retirement security, STEM and health care.

Work-Life Balance – Ninety percent of American mothers and 95 percent of American fathers report work-family conflict. BPW Foundation recognizes that this is a family issue and proposes a multi-prong approach: advocating for workplace standards legislation, developing employer tools and empowering all employees to request and use flexible policies. BPW Foundation supports the Healthy Families Act (paid sick days) and the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act (paid parental leave) and expansions to FMLA. Paid sick leave, paid parental leave, workplace flexibility, and affordable child care are all necessary tools in the quest for work-life balance.

Working Women in the Green Economy – BPW Foundation strives to increase the number of women in better-paying, non-traditional fields and ensure that careers of the future are pursued equally by all genders. Through parternship and our Women and the Green Economyinitiative we are exploring women’s demand for green jobs and how to ensure that they are recruited, trained and retained for the sustainable jobs of the future. BPW Foundation supports the Women & Workforce Investment for Nontraditional Jobs (Women WIN Jobs) Act that will invest in a new federal grant program to help recruit, prepare, place and retain women in high-demand, high-wage nontraditional jobs.
Women Veterans in Transition – BPW Foundation is the first organization to research women veterans transitioning from active duty into the civilian workforce. BPW Foundation’s extensive research on the needs of women veterans and how to ensure their successful re-entry is especially critical as veterans become an increasing percentage of the workforce. BPW Foundation supports the expansion of FMLA benefits to families of both wounded veterans and active service members and upcoming policy that further recognizes the contributions of our service members, especially women. JFMP mentee testifies before House on benefits of woman-to-woman mentoring for career development and entrepreneurship.
Support for Women Small Business owners – Women have come a long way not only in the workforce, but also starting their own small business and developing their entrepreneurial goals. There are 7.8 million women-owned businesses in the United States – a 20.1% increase from 2002 to 2007.  In 2008, majority women-owned businesses in the U.S. had a total economic impact of $2.8 trillion.  That translates into the creation and maintenance of more than 23.7 million jobs, and accounts for 16% of all U.S. jobs. BPW has worked to ensure that women owned small businesses are treated fairly and get their share of government contracting work.

Working Women and Health Care TRICARE Moms Improvement Act of 2014

Advocacy

Empowering Women to Be Great Advocates BPW Foundation provides tools and resources so working women can get involved in public policy development and activities in their own workplaces and government.

National Business Women’s Week®

Since 1928 Business and Professional Women has sponsored National Business Women’s Week® (NBWW). Each year during October, working women across the country take the opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge the important role women play in the nation’s economy, past and present.

HERvotes

BPW Foundation is a member of HERvotes, which was launched on August 25, 2011 in recognition of the anniversary of the 19th Amendment and to mobilize women to vote in 2012.

Equal Pay Day

Equal Pay Day symbolizes the point in the year at which women’s wages catch up to men’s wages from the previous year. Working women recognize Equal Pay Day by lobbying their legislators, holding press conferences and hosting “Unhappy Hours.”