Last week we celebrated an important milestone; 30 years prior, on April 22, 1991, we incorporated as a non-profit and nonpartisan organization in Kansas City, Missouri. We were founded by smart, bold women with an unwavering commitment to empower all women to reach their full economic potential.
I look forward to celebrating our trailblazing founders and the women who fearlessly made history over the past three decades. Throughout the year, we will honor the women who said “yes” to serve, the progress we’ve made, and the women leading the charge today for equity and opportunity. We hope to celebrate with some of these trailblazers in person on September 29 at We Work for Change, with three highly anticipated national speakers!
Celebrating our history creates the opportunity to share the vision for our future. Our goals are focused on strengthening our mission to advance all women’s economic and civic leadership for meaningful change. A few specifics include:
Economic Development: We will accelerate advancements in critical areas like equal pay, occupational licensing, and childcare. We are particularly passionate about a national paid family leave policy as a critical piece to support women and their families.
Civic Leadership: We will accelerate expansion of the Appointments Project®. We are now in 30 cities across Missouri and Kansas, and have launched in four additional cities across the country: Fort Worth, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma City, and South San Francisco. We expect to expand to three additional cities across the country by the end of the year.
Legacy of Women: We will continue honoring the trailblazing women who paved the path for change long before we became an organization. Next up we have a state park renaming in Ste. Genevieve, MO, to honor school teacher Helen Coffer Hawn.
Research: We remain dedicated to research that helps us identify gaps for and feedback from women. This year, we are partnering with a group of elected officials and community and business leaders across the state of Missouri to convene the first-ever statewide Women’s Economic Task Force. We will identify strategies, recommendations and policy solutions to improve the economic well-being of women and families.Stay tuned for an update on the status of women in Kansas later this year also.
So much of our work and progress has been thanks to volunteers, from our visionary founders 30 years ago to today’s advocates like the new Groundbreakers and Ambassadors groups. We thank the countless women who have helped us get to this point, and those who will carry the mantle forward for the next generation of changemakers.
Speaking of the next generation, 11-year-old Poppy Bash joined her father, Andy Bash of Bash & Co. Sotheby’s International Realty, “on stage” during our Champion Breakfast on April 23. As Poppy told our attendees, “It’s important for us to continue to work now for changes, so as I continue to grow, I have the opportunities available to me that I deserve.” Watch Poppy by clicking here.
We agree with Poppy; she and the millions of girls across our country deserve a more equitable world. Change is needed today to address inequities for women, and we believe the challenges are solvable. We’re committed to tackling them because we know that when women -- and girls like Poppy -- thrive, communities thrive.
We are encouraged and inspired as we reflect on this chapter of the organization, but know we have a lot of work to do. I hope you will join me this year in taking action to create opportunities, champion progress and advocate for change for women.
Thank you for your support of United WE over the past 30 years. We are looking forward to the next 30!
Warmly,
