Women Employed

has begun in most counties in Illinois! Do you know how to cast your ballot early? Here’s what you need to know:

→If you live outside of Cook County, early voting started September 24th! You can find a location by visiting: https://www.elections.il.gov/VotingAndRegistrationSystems/EarlyVotingLocationsSearch.aspx

→If you live in suburban Cook County, early voting will begin on October 19th. You can find a location by visiting: https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/elections/ways-to-vote/early-voting/early-voting-locations

→If you live in the City of Chicago, early voting will begin October 1st at two downtown locations, and in all 50 wards on October 19th. You can learn more and find locations here: https://www.chicagoelections.gov/voting/early-votingvote-centers

→Check out WE’s for all of this info, and more! https://womenemployed.org/voter-mobilization-toolkit/

And, make sure to !!

Please help us welcome our new Advancement Assistant, they/them, Lucy Coulter. As a recent graduate from Reed College in Portland, Oregon, Lucy studied English and Religion. Their interest in the humanities has been fueled by their appreciation for the diversity of human experiences, and their liberal arts degree has equipped them with the skills to think nimbly and creatively.

Throughout Lucy’s entire academic career, they have involved themselves in numerous advocacy groups. Standing up for justice locally and globally has been an essential part of Lucy’s professional and personal development, and they recognize that women’s economic empowerment lies at the center of economic justice for all.

Lucy has been marching with Women Employed (WE) for women’s rights since they were a child, and we are thrilled that they are joining the staff as a member of WE’s Advancement team and in support of the Board of Directors.

Welcome to the WE team Lucy!

Thank you for joining Women Employed and City Colleges of Chicago last week to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of Career Foundations! It was wonderful to see partners from all parts of the Chicago education and workforce ecosystem come together to acknowledge this amazing milestone.

During the convening, we reflected on the evolution of Career Foundations, heard testimonials from our partners, discussed the importance of collaboration for a continuum of care, and envisioned a future of continued innovation. We are grateful for your sustained dedication and partnership.

Thank you to all that made this day an enormous success! Huge thank you to our caterer The Cajun Connoisseur Food Truck and Catering for providing the delicious food followed by desserts from Sweeter Than Me Bakery enjoyed by all! And shout-out to our amazing photographer Kambua Chema Photography who captured all the warm smiles and hugs amongst the festivities.

We can’t wait to see what the next 10 years of Career Foundations brings!

TONIGHT! Join Chicago Media Project for a Chicago premiere screening of "Silenced," a documentary about international human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson and her fight against the weaponization of defamation laws to silence gender violence survivors. The viewing will be followed by a panel discussion with political strategist Alaina Hampton, Women Employed's Executive VP of Policy, Programs, and Research, Sharmili Majmudar and Brave Path Strategies founder Darci Flynn. Moderated by Dan Mihalopoulos, investigative reporter at WBEZ.

Date: Tuesday, September, 22nd
Where: The Davis Theater , 4614 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
Time: screening begins at 6:30 pm CT
Registration: https://ow.ly/7a1L50ZPGXp

TOMORROW! Join us for a Chicago premiere screening of "Silenced," a documentary about international human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson and her fight against the weaponization of defamation laws to silence gender violence survivors. The viewing will be followed by a panel discussion with political strategist Alaina Hampton, Women Employed's Executive VP of Policy, Programs, and Research, Sharmili Majmudar and Brave Path Strategies founder Darci Flynn. Moderated by Dan Mihalopoulos, investigative reporter at WBEZ.

Date: Tuesday, September, 22nd
Where: The Davis Theater , 4614 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
Time: screening begins at 6:30 pm CT
Registration: https://ow.ly/7a1L50ZPGXp

Please join us next for a Chicago premiere screening of "Silenced," a documentary about international human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson and her fight against the weaponization of defamation laws to silence gender violence survivors. The viewing will be followed by a panel discussion with political strategist Alaina Hampton, Women Employed Executive VP of Policy, Programs, and Research, Sharmili Majmudar and Brave Path Strategies founder Darci Flynn. Moderated by Dan Mihalopoulos, investigative reporter at WBEZ.

Date: Tuesday, September, 22nd
Where: The Davis Theater , 4614 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
Time: screening begins at 6:30 pm CT
Registration: https://ow.ly/GKaz50ZPbPT

Today marks Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) Women’s Equal Pay Day. We're joining our friends at Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC), Equal Pay Today, A Project of Equal Rights Advocates, and the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF) to spotlight a critical affordability issue: the persistent wage gap that threatens the economic survival of NHPI women and their families. Fair pay is essential for basic financial security, and closing the wage gap is central to advancing economic justice. As the midterm elections approach, we urge our communities to vote for leaders committed to dismantling economic barriers, addressing structural inequities, closing the wage gap, and ensuring economic justice for all NHPI women and their communities.

Your vote is your voice—and this year, it matters more than ever! Make sure you're registered, find your polling place, learn about mail-in ballots (including NEW USPS RULES that could impact YOUR ballot), and spread the word to all our friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues. You can do all this and more with WE's Voter Mobilization Toolkit: https://ow.ly/Mn9y50ZM2vZ

And spread the word with our digital outreach toolkit: https://ow.ly/osuu50ZM2w0

and please join the Illinois Women's Institute for Leadership Training Academy's annual Dawn Clark Netsch Policy Forum: : "It's Still the Economy, Stupid" 💯 virtual event!

Date: Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Time: 5:30 - 6:30 pm CT
Registration link: https://ow.ly/kWkU50ZKsq7

Moderator: Jaemie Nelly, Federation of Women Contractors

Featuring Panelists:
→ Cherita Ellens, President and CEO, Women Employed
→ Erion Malasi, IL Director of Policy and Research, Economic Security Project
→ Liz Shuler, President, AFL-CIO