Our Issues and Programs

In 2008, about 56 percent of America's 39.8 million people living in poverty were female. Of the nation's 13.5 million children living in poverty, 8.5 million were being raised in single-parent households -- 89.7 percent of which are headed by women. We believe, and research has consistently shown, that providing the supports these women need to move out of poverty is the most effective way to boost economic security for all America's struggling families.

In 2009 and 2010 WESC will focus its efforts on policy and programs that support low-income women in securing stable jobs with good wages, benefits and opportunities for advancement. This effort builds on our local advocacy work aimed at helping low-income women with children achieve long-term economic security.

Although much of the attention during the recession has focused on job loss among men, women have also been hard hit. The unemployment rate for women head of households was 12.6 percent in July 2009-higher than the overall unemployment rate of 10.5 percent for men and substantially higher than the unemployment rate of men with a spouse (6.9 percent).

Many of the key policy debates during the next year could dramatically influence the employment picture for low-income women - and potentially move millions out of poverty. These include the green jobs components of climate change legislation, and reauthorizations of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) legislation, the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), and the Workforce Investment Act.

During the next year WESC will release a series of policy briefs that argue for greater attention within these key legislative initiatives on providing low-income women with the help they need to secure good, family-supporting jobs. In addition to the briefs, we will provide an extensive tool kit in each issue area that will include a variety of resources for taking action and elevating the voices of women's foundations as we work together to ensure greater employment opportunities for low-income women and their families.

Green Jobs
Creating Opportunity for Low-Income Women in the Green Economy is the first of several policy briefs to be developed by the Women's Economic Security Campaign

TANF and Child Care
A second policy brief on reauthorization of TANF and CCDBG will be released in early 2010.

Workforce Investment Act
A third policy brief on reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act will be released in the spring of 2010.