7 Organizations Offering Support to Women Professionals
Women often face more issues in the workplace than their male counterparts, from hiring discrimination to lower pay to sexual harassment. That's why organizations like the ones listed here encourage, support, and advocate for professional women working everywhere from restaurants to the trucking industry. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.
Groups That Assist & Advocate For Women In The Workplace
| Organization | Headquarters Location | Mission |
|---|---|---|
| Pen + Brush | New York, NY | Showcase the voices of female artists and writers to a broader audience with the ultimate goal of effecting real change within the marketplace |
| National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms | Chicago, IL | Promote diversity in the legal profession by fostering successful relationships among preeminent minority and women owned law firms and private/public entities |
| The National Center for Women & Information Technology | Boulder, CO | Convene, equip, and unite organizations to increase the influence and meaningful participation of girls and women — at the intersections of race, ethnicity, class, age, sexual orientation, and disability status — in the influential field of computing, particularly in terms of innovation and development |
| Cosmetic Executive Women | New York, NY | Fuel the potential of members representing leading brands, indies, retailers, media, and suppliers by providing programs that develop careers and knowledge of the beauty industry |
| The Women In Trucking Association | Plover, WI | Encourage the employment of women in the trucking industry, promote their accomplishments, and minimize obstacles faced by women working in the industry |
| Network of Executive Women | Chicago, IL | Advance all women, growing business and transforming workplaces through the power of community |
| Women Chefs & Restaurateurs | Chicago, IL | Advance the voices of women in food and beverage through education, promotion, connection, and inspiration |
Percentage Of Women In The Workforce
The percentage of men & women in the civilian labor force over time, according to the U.S. Department of Labor
| Year | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 29.6% | 70.4% |
| 1960 | 33.4% | 66.6% |
| 1970 | 38.1% | 61.9% |
| 1980 | 42.5% | 57.5% |
| 1990 | 45.2% | 54.8% |
| 2000 | 46.5% | 53.5% |
| 2010 | 46.7% | 53.3% |
Inspiring Quotes From Successful Women
- "A woman with a voice is by definition a strong woman." - Melinda Gates
- "I believe that it is as much a right and duty for women to do something with their lives as for men and we are not going to be satisfied with such frivolous parts as you give us." - Louisa May Alcott
- "One's feelings waste themselves in words; they ought all to be distilled into actions which bring results." - Florence Nightingale
- "If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again!" - Sojourner Truth
- "It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from. The ability to triumph begins with you. Always." - Oprah Winfrey
The Myths That Hold Women Back
In Depth
The misogyny that pervades our culture is particularly intense in the workplace. In response, nearly every line of work has seen the development of professional associations for women, which can function to represent their shared interests. This list, presented in no particular order, looks at a range of such groups, whether they represent truck drivers or C-suite executives.
At #1, Pen and Brush is a 125-year-old publicly supported not-for-profit fighting for gender equity in the arts. It provides a platform to showcase the work of female artists and writers to a broader audience with the ultimate goal of effecting real change within the marketplace. The group encourages and mentors emerging professionals and aims to expose the stereotypes and misconceptions that perpetuate the exclusion, lack of recognition, and devaluation of skill that are still experienced by women in creative fields.
For women writers and literary professionals, P and B serves as an independent publishing imprint that champions high-quality fiction and poetry from an unmistakably female perspective. This wing produces and distributes magazines, e-publications, and digital chapbooks. The group supports visual artists through a program of exhibitions at its gallery space in the Flatiron District of New York City, which also hosts lectures, readings and panel discussions. Find out more by browsing the reviews of the organization's projects collected on its website.
The group supports visual artists through a program of exhibitions at its gallery space in the Flatiron District of New York City, which also hosts lectures, readings and panel discussions.
#2 is National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms, a nonprofit trade organization for legal corporations controlled by women and people of color. While large private practices and public entities interested in diversifying their rosters usually focus on working with minority and female attorneys at majority firms, this group's view is that the most effective method involves the retention of companies owned by members of these populations.
The association's in-house counsel group represents the companies and public entities committed to diversity and inclusion. They are provided with unique access to an exclusive group of carefully vetted firms owned by women and P.O.Cs. A detailed members directory indexes female- and non-white-run legal companies. A large array of Practice Area Committees brings together and sorts constituents by the type of law in which they specialize. Get involved by attending an annual leadership conference.
Continuing on to #3, we arrive at The National Center for Women and Information Technology. This nonprofit association convenes, equips, and unites change leader organizations to increase the influence and meaningful participation of all girls and women in the influential field of computing, particularly in terms of innovation and development. Chartered in 2004 by the National Science Foundation, the organization was designed to aggregate and streamline work being done by different isolated formations in the same areas.
Chartered in 2004 by the National Science Foundation, the organization was designed to aggregate and streamline work being done by different isolated formations in the same areas.
A yearly summit gathers together representatives from more than a thousand organizations for collaborative discussions that lead to action supporting women in tech. The center also provides a set of free, online resources to help individuals implement change, raise awareness, and reach out to critical populations. Other programs are designed for members to achieve goals focused on policy reform, image change, underrepresented groups, and more. See if you might make use of the association's tools by reading one of its research publications.
At #4, Cosmetic Executive Women is an international organization of more than 10,000 members from a cross section of beauty and related businesses. Members represent leading brands, small independents, retailers, media, and suppliers. The group's purpose is to provide programs that develop careers and knowledge of the beauty industry through leader talks, trend reports, newsletters, and mentoring. It is based in New York and maintains chapters in the United Kingdom and France.
Membership brings access to private webinars with cutting-edge information on cosmetics developments, and a subscription to Beauty News, an exclusive daily industry publication. Interactive directories and discussion forums connect professionals around the world. The organization also offers an online mentorship program and a job postings board. An events series and a suite of annual award ceremonies provide opportunities for networking. Take part in this mission by becoming a C.E.W. sponsor.
Take part in this mission by becoming a C.E.W. sponsor.
#5: The Women In Trucking Association is a nonprofit organization focused on the transportation and logistics industry. Its mission is to encourage the employment of women in the field, promote their accomplishments, and minimize obstacles they face working in this male-dominated profession. To members, it offers education, career opportunities, and a collective body to fight for their interests and improve their conditions. For others, it serves as a resource for information about female freight drivers.
The association's active blog shares reports and reflections from members in the field and organization staffers. The Mentor Match program pairs industry greenhorns with old hands who wish to advise them. In webinars, high-ranking figures in the field answer common questions and address difficult problems. At the Accelerate Conference and Expo, which takes place every autumn, attendees can learn how gender diversity can have a positive impact on their companies' success. Stimulate your interest by visiting the Salute to Women Behind the Wheel convention.
In the #6 position is Network of Executive Women, a community of more than ten thousand women representing nearly one thousand companies across North America who want to see gender equality become a reality. Together they work to advance women, grow business, and transform workplaces through a collective voice. The group intends to alter statistics like the one that shows women holding just 6.6 percent of Fortune 500 CEO roles, despite comprising 50 percent of the world's population.
The group intends to alter statistics like the one that shows women holding just 6.6 percent of Fortune 500 CEO roles, despite comprising 50 percent of the world's population.
The network develops and empowers women leaders, provides insights and solutions that support business transformation through gender parity, and amplifies the voices of female executives, championing equal opportunity, advancement, inclusion, and pay. Members can take advantage of learning programs both online and in-person. Proprietary research developed at NEW shines a spotlight on business challenges and opportunities alike. Through partnerships with C-suite executives, it pushes to advance inclusive cultures. Get involved at one of many regional events.
Closing out the list at #7, it's Women Chefs and Restaurateurs. The group's large membership base spans diverse fields of work within the culinary industry: educators, chefs and restaurateurs, caterers, artisan farmers, butchers, charcutiers, cheese makers, marketers, authors, publishers, bloggers, and more. It was founded in 1993 by chefs Barbara Tropp and Joyce Goldstein, who wanted to change the standards of their profession and convinced six other top women in their field to join this mission.
Today the organization offers members a variety of opportunities for professional development, advocacy, and mentorship. All participants are featured in an online directory and many are profiled on W.C.R. social media channels. They also receive invitations to events from the organization's lively calendar, which create a context in which to connect with leading industry figures. There are additionally scholarship and internship programs for members just starting out in the biz. Back these efforts by making a donation.
