This report was commissioned by the North Carolina Council for Women and Youth Involvement (CFWYI), an advocacy division housed in the North Carolina Department of Administration, and the North Carolina Council for Women (the Council), a group of 20 gubernatorial appointees who advise the governor, General Assembly, and state agencies on the status of [...] The post Investing in Economic Opportunity for Women in North Carolina appeared first on IWPR.| IWPR
In 2024, the number of women working in construction trades was the highest ever, with 366,360 working in construction and extraction occupations. Since 2015, the number of tradeswomen has increased by almost 160,000, or 77.3 percent. Construction careers, including apprenticeships, are attracting an increasing number of women. Yet, even with this growth, tradeswomen were [...] The post Numbers Matter: Women Working in Construction appeared first on IWPR.| IWPR
This is a guest post written by Claudia Trevor-Wright with the American Society for Emergency Contraception as part of IWPR’s Connect for Success initiative. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of IWPR. The intended audience for this article is higher education professionals who support [...] The post Health Equity in Higher Ed: Responding to the Needs of Students Working in the Commercial Sex Trade appeared first on IWPR.| IWPR
The following is a statement from Dr. Jamila K. Taylor, president and CEO of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, on the announced nomination of E.J. Antoni to serve as commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “The announced nomination of E.J. Antoni to replace Dr. Erika McEntarfer as the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) following [...] The post Dr. Jamila K. Taylor Responds to BLS Nomination appeared first on IWPR.| IWPR
Washington, DC (August 7, 2025) – Today, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) is proud to announce the launch of its new Advancing Black Women in Leadership initiative—a bold effort to address the systemic barriers Black women face in their leadership journeys while filling a critical research gap on the unique challenges they encounter. [...] The post IWPR Launches Advancing Black Women in Leadership Initiative appeared first on IWPR.| IWPR
Attaining postsecondary education offers economic mobility for Black women; however, it is not enough to eliminate the disparities they experience in advancing to leadership roles. Black women in the United States continue to experience a steady increase in successfully earning college degrees but are significantly less likely to achieve management and professional positions than [...] The post Black Women Need Better Access to Leadership Positions—and Equal Pay When They Get There appeared...| IWPR
After treading water through two years of pandemic-related student loan forbearance, people with student debt are due to resume payments on May 1, 2022, a shift that will leave many to drown. Student debt is a crisis in the United States, and one that disproportionately impacts women and people of color. Achieving economic mobility—or even| IWPR - Institute for Women's Policy Research
The ongoing crisis of Black maternal mortality is not only a personal tragedy but also a preventable loss with profound, lasting effects on children, families, and entire communities. This brief builds on others in this series by shedding light on the broad and long-term impact of maternal mortality. READ MORE The post When Care Fails, Generations Suffer: The Ripple Effect of the Black Maternal Health Crisis appeared first on IWPR.| IWPR
Across the economy, Black women are disproportionately channeled into jobs with low wages and high levels of stress, uncertainty, and physical risk. Today, more than 1 in 5 Black women in the labor market works in the health sector, and while there are pathways to higher-paying, stable jobs such as registered nursing, Black women are [...] The post Higher Risks, Lower Rewards – The Hidden Toll on Black Women Working in Health Care appeared first on IWPR.| IWPR
Many conversations about Black maternal health—and about Black women’s health overall—focus on their role as patients within a health system that has historically harmed them and continues to do so today. However, the role of Black women who work within the health system is also a critical piece of this conversation. READ MORE [...] The post Working in Harm’s Way – How Occupational Segregation Impacts Black Maternal Health appeared first on IWPR.| IWPR
The report arrives as lawmakers pursue efforts to weaken or eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. These policies have been instrumental in addressing disparities in pay, hiring, and promotion. Washington, DC—A new analysis from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) shows that a Black woman working full-time year-round stands to lose more than $1 million over a 40-year career compared to White men. These lost wages could have supported a down payment on a...| IWPR
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Two-generation (2Gen) programs and policies create opportunities that allow adults and the children in their lives to build on each other’s successes. Ensuring that both parents and children have access to affordable, high-quality educational opportunities, for example, is a core component of a 2Gen approach. Investments in the postsecondary success of parents with young children can increase attainment of credentials leading to good jobs, bring children the benefits of high-quality learnin...| IWPR - Institute for Women's Policy Research
