This Women’s History Month, IWPR is reflecting on its 30 years of researching the issues, such as paid leave and equal pay, that shape women’s lives.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the passage of the landmark Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) which guarantees job protected, but not paid, leave. In August 1989, IWPR released its first report, Unnecessary Losses: Costs to Americans in the States of the Lack of Family and Medical Leave. IWPR’s research showed that, by not recognizing the need for work-life balance in all families, established policies not only failed to support workers and their families, but were costly to taxpayers. Now nearly a quarter century later, the Family and Medical Leave Act has become a cornerstone of U.S. employment law and human resource policy.
IWPR’s research shifted the terms of the policy debate—from focusing almost exclusively on the costs to businesses of providing family and medical leave to the costs to families and the overall economy of not providing leave. IWPR’s paid leave simulation model, which is the only economic model developed specifically to estimate the costs and benefits of implementing a paid family and medical leave system, continues to inform policymakers in cities and states around the country looking to expand access to paid leave for their workers. You can read more about IWPR’s continuing research on paid leave by visiting our Family & Medical Leave page.
This year’s Equal Pay Day is on April 10th. IWPR is proud to continue producing forward-thinking data that connect the impact of policies and people’s pocketbooks. IWPR’s research finds that equal pay would cut poverty among working women by half and add more than half a trillion dollars in additional wage and salary income to the U.S. economy.
Women simply can’t afford to wait 40 years for pay equity— women of color can’t wait up to 232 years as IWPR projections indicate. The movement for equal pay remains a constant focus in IWPR’s research, and with your help we will continue to provide accurate data to lawmakers, activists—and you!
We are living in a watershed moment that holds the opportunity for women to achieve significant gains in leadership at work and in society. Honor the future changemakers this Women’s History Month by supporting the research that will spark action. Donate to IWPR today!
For other ways to donate to IWPR please visit our website.
Contributions to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research are fully tax-deductible.
The Institute for Women’s Policy Research conducts and communicates research to inspire public dialogue, shape policy, and improve the lives and opportunities of women of diverse backgrounds, circumstances, and experiences.
