WFN WEEKLY NEWS // MARCH 15, 2022 // A LETTER FROM OUR PRESIDENT & CEO

Is it 2157 Yet?

Dear Colleagues,

Reviewing the latest data for Equal Pay Day in the United States is disheartening, equally so for our sisters around the world. We mark these dates to show how far into the next year a woman must work to earn an equal wage as their male counterparts from the previous year. Meaning, in the U.S., women just finished work for 2021 — and we’re already 2.5 months behind men in 2022 earnings.

The U.S. census data shows women on average are paid just 83 cents for every dollar paid to men, however, Black women are paid just 63 cents, Native women just 60 cents, and Latinas only 55 cents for every dollar paid to a white man.

The problem is not that women choose to do lower-paying work—since women are paid less for the same work—but that no matter what career we choose, society undervalues our worth.

The money we lose is consequential. It means we are less likely to own homes or have capital to start our own businesses and we will retire with significantly lower social security benefits.

At our current pace, we won’t close the wage gap until the year 2157. That’s nearly 136 years from now, with 36 of those added to make up for pandemic setbacks. In short, we simply must speed up the process.

How can philanthropy, public policymakers, and private businesses come together to accelerate the process of achieving equal pay? My top recommendations are in Ms. Magazine today; you can read them here.

I hope you’ll join me in advocating for these changes today and every day.

In solidarity,
Elizabeth

Elizabeth Barajas-Román
Women’s Funding Network
President & CEO

Read EBR's recommendations for Equal Pay in Ms.

WFN Membership Renewals

We know that our network is only as strong as the people who are a part of it. Join us in appreciating our latest 2022 new and renewing members. If you have questions about membership or would like additional information, contact us.

California Wellness Foundation
Fairfield County's Community Foundation's Fund for Women & Girls
WomenStrong International

WFN membership stands in solidarity with Ukraine and universally condemns violence. Add your name in support to our statement of solidarity and learn more about organizations moving resources directly to those in need.

WFN Member News

WFN Board Member, and Executive Director of the Women's Fund of Hawai'i Leela Bilmes-Goldstein, was featured as a USA Today Women of the Year. Congratulations Leela!
Women of the Year: When COVID-19 hit Hawaiian women hardest, Leela Bilmes Goldstein stepped up.

WFN Board Member, and Director of Program Strategy and Investment for Pivotal Ventures Ada Williams Prince, is the New York Woman’s Foundation 2022 Vision Awardee. Join the NYWF on Wednesday, May 11, 2022 virtually or in-person. Congratulations Ada!
Learn more and register now.

Philanthropy Women's Feminist Giving IRL series features Veronica Colón, Executive Director of Puerto Rico Women’s Foundation, discussing unique challenges and solutions for new women's funds. Read the full interview.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Delta Research and Educational Foundation (DREF) invites you to attend a Literary Jam, an evening of music, literary notes, and book discussion, presented by the Center for Research on African American Women and the Sister Scholars Advisory Council.

March 19, 2022 | 4:00pm PST | Register here

Join the Maine Women’s Fund for a virtual event with nonprofit leaders advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts among a historically white, cis-led grantee community. Maine Women's Fund grantees, supporters, donors, sponsors, funders, and partners of all kinds are invited to attend.

Four Stories of Social Change through DEI Work
Thursday, March 17, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. EDT/4:00 to 5:00 p.m. UTC
Registration link: Maine Women's Fund (4agc.com)

Opportunities and Resources

A new survey from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research finds workplace flexibility, paid leave, and higher pay top the list of wants for women as they chart a path back to the workforce. To read more about the survey findings, click here.

Frameworks has released a new report, Making History Matter: From Abstract Truth to Critical Engagement, which is designed to give historians, educators, and advocates the tools to more cohesively and convincingly communicate about history.

This spring, the World Bank and WAKE are co-hosting a series of interactive dialogues on Advancing an Inclusive EdTech Sector in Africa. Through these conversations, women in EdTech exchange ideas on trends, challenges, and opportunities in the industry and help inform the design of a network for learning, mentoring and resources.

New York Women’s Foundation’s grantee partner, the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), has released survey data showing 74% of AAPI women reported personally experiencing racism or in the last year, revealing a need for solutions that promote long-term, holistic changes to address the history of violence against AAPI communities. View the report.

Philanthropy Northwest is hosting a conversation with Horizon Forum and the Amalgamated Foundation’s Hate if Not Charitable campaign about the rise of philanthropy funding hate groups, strategies for mitigating this risk, and the importance of funding anti-hate efforts.

March 18, 2022 | 10:00am-11:00am PST | Register here.

What We're Reading

On today's Equal Pay Day, women will not only be dealing with a 17 cent gender pay gap but also an exhaustion gap. According to a new study, women feel burned out, less driven and less inspired since the pandemic. - Forbes

To forge a sustainable future for us all, “women and girls must be front and centre, leading the way”. Secretary-General António Guterres told the opening session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) on Monday. - United Nations

Last week, the House voted to renew a lapsed law aimed at preventing domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking, approving the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.
- The New York Times

Companies tweeted for International Women’s Day. Then this account called out their pay gaps.
- The Washington Post

What We're Watching

WATCH: The Institute for Women’s Policy Research, American University Program on Gender Analysis in Economics, and the Carework Network held a conference, “The U.S. Care Infrastructure: From Promise to Reality," which served as a space to collectively assess and push policy development and research on care in the United States, drawing on international experiences and examples. The recordings are now available online.

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