Women Employed

Women Employed is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing economic equity and opportunity for women in the workforce across Chicago, Illinois and beyond. Since 1973, the organization has been instrumental in creating fundamental, systemic change through strategic policy advocacy, educational access expansion, and workplace equity initiatives. Women Employed specializes in addressing critical employment issues including equal pay, salary transparency, fair scheduling, paid leave policies, and protection against sexual harassment in the workplace. The organization works extensively on career pathways and bridge programs designed to support women in low or unpaid work, with particular focus on Black and Latinx women seeking economic advancement. Their expertise spans multiple dimensions of workplace equity: they draft legislative testimony, mobilize advocates, design systems improvements and programs, and collaborate with business leaders to foster inclusive workplace cultures. Women Employed has demonstrated measurable impact, including securing paid time off laws in Chicago, Cook County, and Illinois, and successfully advocating for Illinois's no salary history law to advance pay equity. The organization provides comprehensive resources on employment rights under both federal and Illinois law, operates the Women's Entrepreneurship Hub (WE Hub), and offers expert speakers and workshop facilitators versed in contemporary workplace issues affecting working women. Recognized as one of Chicago Sun-Times Top 25 Workplaces for 2025, Women Employed combines rigorous advocacy with community engagement to remove barriers standing between women and economic opportunity.