University at Albany,
State University of New York
Center for Women in Government & Civil Society
http://www.cwig.albany.edu
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Contact Information:
135 Western Avenue
Draper Hall 302
Albany, NY 12222
Phone: 518-442-3900
Fax: 518-442-3877
CENTER DESCRIPTION
The Center for Women and Government & Civil Society (CWIGCS) is within the Graduate School of Public Affairs and Policy at the University at Albany, State University of New York. The center is responsible for conducting and disseminating research on women's issues, working to identify and eliminate barriers to women's employment equity, and developing public policy leadership for women and youth. The center also acts as a resource for leaders in business and government, public employees, researchers, scholars, and members of advocacy and professional organizations. Additionally, CWIG administers a fellowship on Women and Public Policy.
AREA(S) OF EXPERTISE
Education; employment; entrepreneurship and small business development; equity issues; family; feminist thought and scholarship; girls and adolescents; leadership and leadership development; microenterprise development; philanthropy; politics; violence against women; work and family.
RECENT PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES
Education
Liberty Partnership Project. A prevention program aimed at young women and men in grades 7-12 who are at risk for leaving school before graduation. The project offers a range of services to support people in obtaining their diploma, entering higher education, and preparing themselves for the workforce. The program is designed to address academic, personal, and social growth through a focus on the following: educational achievement; self-empowerment; workforce preparation and career exploration; and public policy leadership development.
Poverty
The Entrepreneurship Option for Low-Income Teenage Girls. CWIG is currently working on a proposal to start a research-based entrepreneurship program for low-income girls who are at risk for not completing high school. Research will target African-American and Latina women who are entrepreneurs, as well as take into account the perspectives of female entrepreneurs from all backgrounds. Project participants will join researchers at the college level in all levels of curriculum development and research phases. This project is being conducted with the Liberty Partnership Project.
Upstate New York Small Business Owner Survey. CWIG Research Director Karyn Loscocco is conducting a study of 600 local small businesses in order to answer questions about fulfilling the dream of a viable small business, expectations prior to starting the business, and the specific motivations and experiences of women entrepreneurs. Data is collected from face-to-face interviews and focus on women and men in two types of industry: those that are typical for women (i.e. retail and service) and those less traditional (such as manufacturing or wholesale trade).
Nonprofit Education Initiative. The Nonprofit Education Initiative (NEI) is a four-year collaborative undertaking that involves nonprofits working on issues related to women, children, and families; regional voluntary sector leaders; and government policymakers and business representatives. The NEI will advance collaborative learning among nonprofit leaders and managers and strengthen the capacities and leadership of diverse voluntary sector organizations. The goals of the initiative are to strengthen collaboration among statewide associations; build stronger connections between nonprofits and the communities and universities they serve; increase the competencies and capacities of statewide nonprofits; and strengthen the technological capacity and competence of consortium members.
Completing the Public Record: Appointed Policy Makers in State Government. CWIG is conducting work on demographic data on top-ranking gubernatorial appointees. In related research, the center is also studying policy priorities and influences on agenda-setting by the executive branch department heads. Both quantitative and interview data will be used to analyze 35 women and men bureaucratic leaders in eight states.
Nontraditional Employment for Women study.
PUBLICATIONS
Women in Public Service: Women Face Barriers in Top Management (Winter 1991/1992).
Women in Public Service: Women Still "Stuck" in Low-Level Jobs (1992).
Women with Disabilities
Disability in Work Organizations: Barriers to Employment Opportunity, Sharon L. Harlan and Pamela M. Robert (1995).
In Brief Newsletter. Published by the Center for Women in Government, each issue focuses on a specific topic:
Appointed Policy Makers in State Government: The National Profile (1996).
Appointed Policy Makers in State Government: The Regional Profile (1997).
Appointed Policy Makers in State Government: The 50-State Compendium Report (1998).
Appointed Policy Makers in State Government: Single-State Profile (1998).
Appointed Policy Makers in State Government: Pre-Election Update (1998).
Women in Public Service: Number of Women in Government Increasing (1991).
Women in Public Service: Cost of Sexual Harassment to Employers Up Sharply (1994).
Women in Public Service: Hidden Violence Against Women at Work(1995).
Women in Public Service: Domestic Violence Project to Sponsor Statewide Symposium for Children and Battered Women's Advocates (1998).
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