Leadership in Civil Society

Economic and Social Status of Women

# The American Woman

This series of publications by WREI focuses on topics of concern to American women and provides data and analysis of women's contemporary position within society on a number of issues. The ninth edition, which will be available January 2003, focuses on younger women age 25-34 and how their lives compare to their baby-boomer mothers. The American Woman 2003-2004: Daughters of a Revolution-Young Women Today, like its predecessors, contains a comprehensive "Statistical Portrait" covering all ages. This section provides statistics on a wide range of topics, providing the reader with the hard numbers that underlie the trends shaping women's experiences. The portrait is organized into eight sections (demographics, education, health, employment, earnings and benefits, economic security, elections and officials, and women in the military) and has grown over the years to include over 140 tables and figures on the status of American women today.

# Women's Health/Healthcare

Women and Health. WREI aims to gather, analyze, and distribute information on women's health care, insurance, and policy. The initiative seeks to examine effective policy strategies to advance research on women's health and health care delivery to women and their families, as well as to ensure access to insurance. They work with existing networks of women's health organizations.

# Women in the Military/Veterans

Center for Women in Uniform. Established though a grant from the Ford Foundation, the Women in the Military project provides information to U.S. and foreign governments, scholars, students, the media, and the public on issues pertaining to women in the armed forces, as well as women in policing and firefighting. WREI sponsors a biennial conference for researchers and active duty/reserve service members to discuss and better understand the roles of military women. The Women in the Military program also maintains information about women's participation in the U.S. military since 1901. Such information includes statistics, occupations and training of military women, evolution of the legal status of women in the U.S. military, policy and issue threads, key documents, and women's participation in foreign militaries.

Women Veterans. In cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, WREI works to ease the transition of women veterans, especially those seeking work in nontraditional occupations, into the private sector.                                           

# Connecting the Dots... Women, Religion and Public Policy

Women leaders in religious institutions joins feminists in public policy and academe to discuss issues issues affecting women's equality.

# Crossing Borders

WREI began Crossing Borders in 2002 to examine the effects of US immigration law and policy on women in America, especially in issues of citizenship and refugee status. The research revealed that females dominate many of the legal and illegal categories of immigration. Analyzing the past and present of US immigration, Crossing Borders seeks new ways of defining citizenship and the policy surrounding it.

# Women Writing Africa

A project of the Feminist Press of the City University of New York, Women Writing Africa is a literary venture producing a series of regional anthologies of African women's writing. A landmark project of cultural reclamation, this project brings the voices of African women to readers around the globe. WREI is the base for Washington promotion and programs in the Women Writing Africa project.

# Aging

Older Women: The Economics of Aging, Anne J. Stone and Jennifer Griffith (1998). A report on the economic status of older women in the United States, including household and personal income, the older single woman's annual expenditures, economic security, and labor force participation.

# Economic and Social Status of Women

The American Woman 2003-2004: Daughters of a Revolution - Young Women Today, edited Cynthia B. Costello, Vanessa R. Wright, and Anne J. Stone (2003). The ninth edition in The American Woman series addresses the status of young women between the ages of 25 and 35. Contributors—all experts in their fields—explore the opportunities and challenges confronting the young women who are the daughters of the baby boom generation. The focus on young women brings into sharp relief how much has changed since the 1970s. The volume also contains a comprehensive statistical portrait of women of all ages, including user-friendly tables and figures that provide readers with the hard numbers underlying the trends shaping the experiences of women of all ages. 

The American Woman 2001-2002: Getting to the Top, edited by Cynthia B. Costello and Anne J. Stone (2001). This eighth edition in WREI's acclaimed American Woman series documents women's different roads to success--the decisions they have made, the barriers they face, and the difference they make both at the top and to those women climbing behind them. The chapters in this volume tell of women's progress in reaching leadership positions in politics, higher education, business, labor unions, and the military. They look at the special difficulties faced by minority women rising to the top.

The American Woman 1999-2000: A Century of Change - What's Next?, edited by Cynthia B. Costello, Shari Miles, and Anne J. Stone (1998). Traces the changes in the condition of and opportunities for American women in the second half of the 20th century and evaluates the future status of women in the U.S. in the 21st century.

The American Woman 1996-1997: Where We Stand (Women and Work), edited by Cynthia B. Costello and Barbara Kivimae Krimgold (1996). Sixth in the series of reports prepared every other year by WREI to document the status of women in America. This edition features five chapters that address different dimensions of women's employment status.

# Health and Healthcare

A Guide to Federal Funding Opportunities in Women's Health, Cynthia B. Costello and Rachel Mears (2002). The "Guide" was prepared to assist state legislators and state health professionals to identify funding opportunities for women's health programs offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The guide is organized into several sections. The first describes federal search sites and publications that can direct users to important information about general funding opportunities. The second describes HHS agencies and offices that have information on federal funding opportunities for women's health programs. The appendix lists contact information for the agencies and offices described in the guide and provides a list of all the agencies within HHS.

Improving the Health of Midlife Women: Policy Options for the Twenty-First Century, Cynthia B. Costello and Vanessa R. Wight (2001). In January 2001, WREI convened a two-day experts' summit to identify the major gaps in women's health at midlife and to chart a federal health policy agenda for Congress. On the basis of the recommendations made at the summit, WREI selected 15 high-impact actions Congress should take to make a significant difference in promoting health and preventing disease in midlife women. The report outlines these actions. It also includes a paper prepared by WREI for the women's health summit, "The Health of Midlife Women: Gaps and Challenges" as well as the 10 gaps and 46 policy options identified at the summit.

The Health of Midlife Women in the States, Cynthia B. Costello, Jennifer E. Griffith, Angela Wilbon, and Ashley Redfearn (1998). Focuses on the health status of women between the ages of 45 and 65, when the normal aging process and lifestyle factors put women at risk for the onset of chronic health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, as well as for osteoporosis.

Assessing and Improving Women's Health, Karen Scott Collins, Diane Rowland, Alina Salaganicoff, and Elizabeth Chait (1994). Presents an overview of women's health issues, including an explanation of conditions that concern women at different times in their lives and a discussion of measures that can be undertaken to prevent disease and disability; also examines how women interact with the health care system.

Women's Health Insurance Costs and Experiences (1994). Focuses on health insurance coverage and expenditures for reproductive and preventive services among women of childbearing age (ages 15-44) and measures the adequacy of women's health care services.

# Women in the Military/Veterans

Proceedings of the Conference: Women in the Military Today 19-20 May 2005, Lory Manning and Cynthia Enloe (2005). Includes thirteen of the papers and presentations from the WREI conference "Women in the Military Today" held in May 2005.

Women in the Military: Where They Stand (Fifth Edition), Lory Manning (2005). This new edition includes information on women in the Reserve and Guard forces and on women veterans as well as updated statistics and a chronology of important policy and legislative milestones. 

Women Veterans' Employment, Lory Manning, Brigid O'Farrell, Anne J. Stone, and Vanessa R. Wight (2001). A report on what we know (and do not know) about women veterans transitioning to the civilian workforce. This 78-page report assesses--with particular attention to differences by race--the available data and literature in five areas relevant to women veterans' employment: the effectiveness of veterans' employment programs; employment and unemployment status; nontraditional employment; earning and socioeconomic status; and veterans' preference.

Women in the Military: Where They Stand, Lory Manning and Vanessa R. Wight (2000). Third edition containing recent data on women in the U.S. military services, a chronology of legal and policy changes affecting military women from 1947 to the present, historic facts about women and their military roles, and facts and figures on the roles of military women in other countries.

Women in Uniform and the Changing World Order (2000). Papers from the December 2000 Women in Uniform conference.

Women in Uniform: Exploding the Myths, Exploring the Facts (1998). Papers from the 1998 Women in Uniform conference.

Women in the Military: International Perspectives (1992). Proceedings of the 1992 Women in the Military Conference.

# Work and Family

Managing Work and Families: Nonstandard Work Arrangements Among Managers and Professionals, Roberta M. Spalter-Roth, Arne L. Kalleberg, Edith Rasell, Naomi Cassirer, Barbara F. Reskin, Ken Hudson, David Webster, Eileen Applebaum, and Betty Dooley (1997).

Nonstandard Work, Substandard Jobs: Flexible Work Arrangements in the U.S., Arne L. Kalleberg, Edith Rasell, Naomi Cassirer, Barbara F. Reskin, Ken Hudson, David Webster, Eileen Applebaum, and Roberta M. Spalter-Roth (1997).

# Crossing Borders/Immigration

Crossing Borders: A Report of the Working Group on Immigration & Women, Marjorie Lightman, Ronald Cluett, Jeffrey A. Heller, Kimala Price, Anne J. Stone, and Bonnie H. Weinstein (2004). In a six-part examination of the changing nature of citizenship, the Crossing Borders report takes a unique look at United States immigration from a holistic perspective that makes clear the need to rethink our most fundamental assumptions about immigration, law, policies, and practices. It integrates issues of gender and citizenship with the evolution of institutional structures. In a diverse group of essays, the six authors argue that we are approaching a breakdown of administrative processes, despite the shift of the old INS to the new Department of Homeland Security.   

#WREI UPDATE is an electronic newsletter featuring information on our projects, publications, upcoming events, fellows, and general bytes of interest.

Congressional Fellowships on Women and Public Policy. WREI identifies and trains new leaders through its Congressional Fellowship program, which is open to graduate students with strong academic skills and a proven commitment to equity for women. Established in 1980, this program enhances the research capacity of Congressional offices, especially with respect to legislation's implications for women, and has given scores of promising women hands-on experience in the federal legislative process. 

The American Woman Award. Every year, WREI honors individuals who have achieved great distinction and who, by conscious effort and example, promote equity for women with the American Woman Award.

Cultural, Racial, and Ethnic Diversity

Directory of Latino Candidates in Massachusetts, 1968-1994, by Carol Hardy-Fanta (with the Gaston Institute)(June 1996).

Speaking from Experience; a Handbook of Successful Strategies by and for Latino Candidates in Massachusetts, by Carol Hardy-Fanta (with the Gaston Institute)(1996).

Girls and Adolescents

Research on girls and politics, especially the factors that predict whether girls will vote or consider running for office when they reach adulthood.

Economic and Social Status of Women

From Dialogue to Action: The Mass Action for Women Audit. This statewide organizing and participatory action research project will produce fact sheets on the status of women and girls in Massachusetts and a publication of a Resource Manual for Regional Facilitators; Regional Women's Research and Action Committees. (To be completed September 2001.)

Law/Legal Issues/Incarceration/Crime

Alternatives to Incarceration for Substance Abusing Female Offenders. This research study produced academic papers and presentations at conferences.

Minors' Abortion Rights Project. This project examined the experiences of minors seeking judicial bypass in order to obtain an abortion in Massachusetts.

Politics

The Center does ongoing research on women in politics in Massachusetts including gender analysis of Massachusetts and national public opinion polls, political profiles of women in the state, studies of Latina women in politics, and the intersection of gender, race and ethnicity with politics. It also hosts numerous public forums including a televised Gubernatorial Candidates Forum on Issues of Concern to Women.

For more information>> 

CWPP Women's News is a biweekly publication available online. It summarizes recent acquisitions for our Information Resource Center, highlights of political news affecting women in the Commonwealth, and provides alerts to upcoming events of interest to women.

Research Reports

Albelda, Randy, and Christa Kelleher. 2010. Women in the Down Economy: Impacts of the Recession and the Stimulus in Massachusetts. Download

Hardy-Fanta, Carol. 2009. Stepping Up: Managing Diversity in Challenging Times - The First Annual Report of Commonwealth Compact Benchmark Data. (May). Download

Kates, Erika, Sylvia Mignon and Paige Ransford. 2008. Parenting from Prison: Family Relationships of Incarcerated Women in Massachusetts. Research Report. Boston: Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy, McCormack Graduate School, University of Massachusetts Boston. (June). Download

Hardy-Fanta, Carol, and Kacie Kelly. 2007. Women of Talent: Gender and Government Appointments in Massachusetts, 2002–2007. Research Report. Boston: Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy and the Massachusetts Government Appointments Project (MassGAP), McCormack Graduate School, University of Massachusetts Boston (November). Download

A Tale of Two Decades: Changes in Work and Family in Massachusetts, 1979-1999, by Randy Albelda and Marlene Kim. (Report produced by the Donahue Institute of the Univeristy of Massachusetts, and UMass Boston's Center for Social Policy, Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy, and Labor Resource Center.)(July 2002)

Girls and Politics: Predictors of Political Ambition, by Claire Benedict, with Carol Hardy-Fanta. A Pilot Study, May 2002.

Connecting for Change: Results of the Mass Action for Women Audit November, 2001. (Also Available on CD).

A Policy Brief: Mental Health Needs Of Women In Transition From Welfare To Work, by Carol L. Cardozo and Lisa K. Sussman, June 2001.

Report on the Minors' Abortion Rights Project, by J. Shoshanna Erlich, Carol Hardy-Fanta and Jamie Ann Sabino (with the Law Center), June 2001.

Alternatives to Incarceration for Substance-Abusing Female Defendants/Offenders in Massachusetts, 1996-1998, by Carol Hardy-Fanta and Sylvia Mignon, October 2000.

Latina Women in Politics, by Lisa Montoya, L., Carol Hardy-Fanta, and Sonia Garcia. PS: Political Science and Politics, Special Symposium Issue on Latino Politics, 33(3) September 2000.

Making Family Leave More Affordable in Massachusetts: The Temporary Disability Insurance Model: A Policy Brief, by Jillian Dickert, August 1999.

Welfare Reform and Barriers to Work in Massachusetts: A Policy Brief, by Susan Pachikara, November 1998.

A Latino Gender Gap? Evidence from the 1996 Election, by Carol Hardy-Fanta, Milenio, No. 2, February 2000.

Latino Electoral Campaigns in Massachusetts--the Impact of Gender, by Carol Hardy-Fanta (with the Gaston Institute)(1997).

Opportunities and Dilemmas for Women Elected Officials in Massachusetts, by Elizabeth Sherman and Susan Rohrbach, December 1996.

Fact Sheets and Statistical Profiles

Ransford, Paige and Miriam Lazewatsky. 2008. Women’s Municipal Leadership in Massachusetts.(March). Fact sheet. Download

Women and Pensions in Massachusetts, by Ellen Bruce, A CWPPP Fact Sheet, August 2002.

Who's in Charge? Appointments of Women to Policymaking Offices and Boards in Massachusetts, by Carol Hardy-Fanta. A CWPPP Fact Sheet, September 2002.

Mass Action West Profile of Women and Girls, (with Mass Action for Women), Winter 2001.

Area Metropolitana de Boston; Perfil de las Mujeres y las Ninas (with Mass Action for Women), Invierno de 2001.

Southeastern Profile of Women and Girls (with Mass Action for Women), Winter 2001.

Greater Boston Profile of Women and Girls (with Mass Action for Women), Winter 2000.

Political Profile of Women in Massachusetts, (with the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus), October 1997.

Economic Profile of Women in Massachusetts, by Randy Albelda, 1995.

Occasional Papers, Monographs, & Books

Latino Politics in Massachusetts: Struggles, Strategies and Prospects, ed. Carol Hardy-Fanta with Jeffrey Gerson. New York: Routledge, 2002.

Gender Politics: Progress for Paid Family Leave in Massachusetts, by Elizabeth A. Sherman, New England Journal of Public Policy (forthcoming).

Comparable Worth Policy: Opportunities for Gender and Racial Equality, by Elizabeth Sherman, Women's Policy Journal of Harvard, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Vol. 1, Summer 2001.

Not for Lack of Trying: The Struggle Over Welfare Reform in Massachusetts, 1992-1998, by Ann Withorn with Carol Hardy-Fanta, March 1999.

Collision Course? Massachusetts Families and the Economy at the Crossroads, compiled and edited by Randy Albelda, Diane D'Arrigo and Phyllis Freeman, June 1996.

Directory of Latino Candidates in Massachusetts, 1968-1994, by Carol Hardy-Fanta (with the Gaston Institute), June 1996.

Speaking from Experience; a Handbook of Successful Strategies by and for Latino Candidates in Massachusetts, by Carol Hardy-Fanta (with the Gaston Institute), 1996.

Latina Politics, Latino Politics: Gender, Culture and Political Participation in Boston, by Carol Hardy-Fanta. Philadelphia: Temple Univ. Press, 1993.

Opportunities for Collaboration

• Contract with the Center to complete a research project on a topic of interest of your agency or organization.
• Have the Center produce an evaluation needed by your agency or organization.
• Serve as a Visiting Scholar at the Center.
• Explore the possibility of a Research Internship.

Environment

Earth Charter Summit. On September 29, 2001, WCEIA convened a day-long Earth Charter Summit, one of twelve around the country that were linked together at two points during the day, with over 150 participants and 45 speakers, to build support for the Earth Charter document, which lays out 16 principles for a just, sustainable and peaceful global society.

Global Feminism

Gender Equality Commission Training. In June 2000, Croatian women leaders took part in this three week training, designed by Anne B. Zill and executed in Washington, D.C., New York (at the United Nations in conjunction with the Beijing + 5 proceedings) and in Maine. Participants were exposed to women leaders on the national, international and state levels in government, industry, academia and civil society.

In July 2001, Bulgarian women mayors were trained for two weeks in advocacy, coalition-building, issue development, and democracy in Maine and Washington, DC.

Other

Cuba: Hearts and Minds and Past and Present. 2007. An exhibition of historical and contemporary art by Cuban, Cuban-American and American Artists about the "Island."

Annual Reports

Zill, Anne B. From Civil Society to Critical Mass: Women's Leadership , Global Security & Democracy in the 21st Century. 2002.

Consider the following list of values: consistency, inclusivity, inter-connectivity, collaboration, empathy, transparency, practicality, and long-term, big-picture considerations. How does the conduct of our government reflect these values? And what is to be done? This paper posits the proposition that the United States government is doing only fair to middling in these early days of the 21st century, that our democracy needs reinvigorating, renewed attention to these core values, as well as to the rule of law itself. A critical mass of women in positions of leadership in government and civil society could speed up this process.

Leadership and Leadership Development

WINGS. Eight-month, memntoring program that  links Rutgers undergraduates with senior professional women.  

CLASP. Five-week, Rutgers undergraduate summer service-learning program which places students in social justice internships.

Executive Leadership Program For Women. Intensive workshop series for women leaders holding senior-level positions in industry, the professions, and Non-Profit Organizations.    

Scholars Program for Women's Leadership and Social Change.The IWL Leadership Scholars Program has an interdisciplinary focus and is designed to prepare undergraduate students to be informed and responsible leaders. Women's leadership is explored within such diverse areas as Congressional offices, scientific laboratories, community volunteer projects, classrooms, corporate board rooms, and more. The program involves a coordinated academic sequence that introduces students to effective models of leadership.

Transforming Lives-Women's Leadership Interview Project. The purpose of the Transforming Lives project is to inspire and empower women of all ages to make positive change in their own lives, in their communities, in our state, nation, and the world. This educational initiative is a significant opportunity for Rutgers undergraduate students in the IWL Leadership Scholars Certificate Program to learn about leadership from women change makers, and to gain an understanding of the use of media as a vital tool for creating social change in the 21st century. 

NJ WomenCount. NJ WomenCount began as an Institute research project in 1993, was reborn in the fall of 2001 as a research partnership between Rutgers’ Institute for Women’s Leadership and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, the Division on Women, and is once again a stand-alone research project at the IWL. The reports in the series focus on the status of New Jersey women in key areas of demographics and activism, work, education, health, poverty, the law, and violence against women. Since 2007, the Institute has published Women’s Leadership Fact Sheets as part of the project, and will continue to publish occasional reports. By bringing together available data, analyzing demographic trends, and identifying research gaps, we hope that NJ WomenCount will serve as a valuable tool to inform equitable policies and effective programs and increase public awareness of women’s leadership progress and challenges. 

National Dialogue on Educating Women for Leadership. The National Dialogue on Educating Women for Leadership was launched in 2000; the series is our effort to encourage a national, ongoing conversation about the development, meaning, and social impact of women’s leadership.    

Past Projects:  

Re-Imagining Work and Community: Work, Family, and Community in the Lives of New Jersey Professional Women, 2001-2005.  This collaborative research project between the Institute for Women’s Leadership and the Center for Women and Work, which was funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, investigated the ways that professional women in dual-earner households define and interact with their multiple communities.

Women in the Public Sphere. With the Institute for Research on Women, IWL held a conference on Power, Practice, and Agency in May of 1998 targeted at audiences inside and beyond the university.

Talking Leadership. This project includes conversations with powerful women about how and why women lead, what barriers women face to obtaining leadership positions, and how these obstacles were addressed. Interviewees included Mildred Dresselhaus, bell hooks, Patricia Schroeder, and many more.

Hartman, Mary S. (ed.). Theorizing the Practice (forthcoming).

Trigg, Mary K. (ed.). 2010. Leading the Way: Young Women's Activism for Social Change. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press.  

Brown-Glaude, Winnifred R (ed.). 2008. Doing Diversity in Higher Education: Faculty Leaders Share Challenges and Strategies. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press. 

Hartman, Mary S. (ed.). 1999. Talking Leadership: Conversations with Powerful Women. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press.

IWL Newsletter. The Institute for Women’s Leadership publishes periodic newsletters to share events and progress from the Institute and consortium members.

Visiting Scholars Program. Programs sponsored by the Institute and Consortium Members for guest scholars, researchers, and others to visit Rutgers.

Mary S. Hartman Women's Leadership Opportunity Fund at the Institute for Women's Leadership. The purpose of this Fund is to provide Rutgers undergraduate students with opportunities to expand their education beyond the classroom through academic conferences, internships, research experiences, national summit meetings, leadership training, and skills workshops. 

The Ms. Foundation for Women is dedicated to building women's collective power to ignite change. We seek opportunities to both proactively and reactively inform public policy, and obtain policy wins at the local, state, tribal and national level, with the ultimate goal of transforming the systems that govern women's lives.

We also aim to change the language, beliefs and behaviors that continue to hold women's oppression in place-particularly at the intersection of race, class and gender-and to shift public debate on key issues so that the perspectives of, and impact on, low income women and women of color are visible and addressed.

We support both cross-issue organizing and organizing within four broad areas of impact:

Women's Health

Reproductive Justice organizing and advocacy
Sexuality education organizing and advocacy
Women and HIV/AIDS policy advocacy and organizational capacity building
Access to health care coverage

Ending Violence

Community-based strategies to prevent child sexual abuse and violence against women and LGBTQ people
Strategies to engage men and boys in ending violence
Public education and media literacy
Youth-driven strategies

Economic Security

Organizing for better wages and working conditions, especially in female dominated sectors
Paid leave (including paid sick days and paid family leave)
Affordable, accessible quality child care
Access to health care coverage

Building Democracy

Building the infrastructure of organizations working for a progressive vision of democracy
Amplifying the voices of women of color, with a special emphasis on the Gulf South
Voter/civic engagement
Just immigration and refugee policies
Criminal Justice reform
Media Justice

Examples of funding initiatives across these broad and interconnected issue areas include:

Katrina Women's Response Fund: The Ms. Foundation responded immediately to the destruction and massive displacement caused by Hurricane Katrina by creating the Katrina Women's Response Fund. The Fund provides strategic support to meet the immediate needs of women of color and low-income women in the Gulf Coast region and ensure that their leadership and priorities are central in both short and long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts. By making grants to organizations throughout the region, the Katrina Women's Response Fund invests in the crucial infrastructure that promotes the health, safety, and economic well-being of women, their families and communities.

The Women and AIDS Fund: The Ms. Foundation for Women created the Women and AIDS Fund (WAF)to support organizations that advocate for policies and services that meet the needs of women with HIV/AIDS. WAF remains the only national fund that supports advocacy and self-determination by and for women living with this disease. By providing grants, technical assistance and networking opportunities to community-based organizations led by and for women who are HIV-positive, we contribute to the development of model approaches for women's HIV/AIDS advocacy that can be shared across the country. Our work has also helped create a national network of HIV-positive infected and affected women, called the National Women and AIDS Collective (NWAC), who strive to influence the ways in which policies are determined at the federal level.

The Reproductive Rights Coalition and Organizing Fund: The Ms. Foundation for Women's Reproductive Rights Coalition and Organizing Fund (RRCOF) has been a strong, responsive resource for state reproductive rights organizations across the United States since 1989. RRCOF provides grantmaking, technical assistance, and networking activities to strengthen state-level infrastructures and build critical, broad-based support for reproductive rights. RRCOF aims to increase the capacity of state and local reproductive rights organizations so that they can: 1) expand and mobilize their base of support; 2) reach a broader and more diverse audience; 3) frame reproductive rights and health in a broader health and social justice context; and 4) more effectively advocate for positive - and avert restrictive - reproductive health policies and programs.

Join our movement for social justice and help to bring the experience and solutions of women and girls to the challenging issues that impact women and their communities most. Learn more about how you can show your support. 

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Stir It UP: Lessons in Community Organizing and Advocacy. Written by activist and trainer Rinku Sen, this publication examines the work of economic justice organizations funded by the Ms. Foundation and applies the lessons they learned to other community organizations. Sen also provides models and tools that any organization can use to successfully create social change and influence public policy.

Raise the Floor: Wages and Policies that Work for All of Us . Most Americans believe a job should keep you out of poverty, not keep you in it. Raise The Floor shows us how we can translate that belief into reality by raising the minimum wage. In addition to telling workers' stories, presenting original data, and proposing comprehensive policies, Raise The Floor spotlights businesses large and small that demonstrate how good wages are good business-in good economic times and bad.

Kitchen Table Entrepreneurs: How Eleven Women Escaped Poverty and Became Their Own Bosses. This publication tells the inspirational stories of eleven low-income women who have marshaled the creative energy, confidence, and capital necessary to start their own small businesses. These women, who have used their entrepreneurial skills as a route out of poverty, give an American face to an economic empowerment tool that has enjoyed great success in developing countries.

Ms. Foundation. 2009. Creating Connections, Igniting Change: Annual Report 2007-2008.

Ms. Foundation. 2009. Building Momentum to Sustain Social Change: Evaluation of the Katrina Women's Response Fund.  

Grants