Thank you for being part of our story.

Since 1987, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research has produced rigorous, data-driven research that shapes how our nation understands and advances women’s economic security and equity. Every milestone was made possible by people like you who believe that evidence can change lives. With your generosity, you aren’t simply honoring that legacy—you’re helping shape its next chapter.

Today: Expanding Impact and Innovation

• Reimagining the Status of Women in the States through the launch of the State Policy Action Lab, an interactive digital platform that puts data directly into the hands of changemakers.
• Advancing equity through the Advancing Black Women in Leadership initiative, addressing critical research gaps and helping reshape the narrative around leadership and representation.

2020–2021: “She-cession” Research During COVID-19

• IWPR research documents the disproportionate economic impact of the pandemic on women, contributing to the national conversation around the “she-cession.”

2020: New Gender Equality Indicators Released

• IWPR expands its Status of Women indicators to include key measures related to paid leave, child care access, and parents’ labor force participation, providing a more comprehensive picture of gender equity.

2019: Workforce Participation Research

• A landmark study finds that nearly 30 percent of women leave the workforce within a year of childbirth, with access to paid family leave significantly reducing workforce attrition.

2018: Parenting Students Study

• In partnership with Generation Hope, Chegg, Imaginable Futures, and the Hope Center, IWPR conducts a national survey of parenting students across nearly 150 colleges, highlighting systemic barriers and informing solutions to support student parents.

2016: Research on Poverty and Health Outcomes

• IWPR deepens its research on economic security, poverty, and health inequities, illuminating the links between gender inequality and health outcomes.

2000s: Expanding Research on the Gender Wage Gap

• IWPR produces some of the most widely cited research on pay equity and the gender wage gap, helping shape federal and state policy debates and informing congressional testimony.

1996: Status of Women in the States Launched

• IWPR releases the first Status of Women in the States report, establishing a comprehensive set of indicators to track women’s economic, political, and social status across all states.
• The report becomes one of the most widely cited resources on women’s equality in the United States.

1990s:  Early Policy Impact

• IWPR research helps shape national debates on employment discrimination, Social Security, welfare reform, child care, and women’s economic security.
• The organization becomes a trusted source for policymakers, journalists, and advocates.

1987: IWPR Founded

• Economist Dr. Heidi Hartmann establishes the Institute for Women’s Policy Research in Washington, DC, establishing the first think tank dedicated to quantitative research focused on women’s policy issues.
• IWPR’s first publication examines the economic costs of the lack of family and medical leave in the US.