Press Release: Lieutenant General (Ret) Nadja West Inspires Leaders At United WE’s We Work For Change Event

We Work for Change 2022 speaker Lieutenant General (Ret) Nadja West. Image via Matthew McNeal Photo

KANSAS CITY, MO – September 21, 2022 – Today more than 1,400 women and allies from 14 states gathered both in-person and through a virtual livestream for United WE’s annual We Work For Change event. The event program featured speaker Lieutenant General (Ret) Nadja West, the first African American Army Surgeon General, the first African American woman 3-star General, and the highest-ranking woman graduate from West Point.

Lieutenant General West discussed the importance of leadership learned during her tenure in the US Army, detailing what good leaders are supposed to do, what they should know, and what they must be – especially in times of uncertainty. “Now more than ever, we need good leaders who can work together to uncover the silver lining amid chaos to inspire their teams.” 

“Now more than ever, we need good leaders who can work together to uncover the silver lining amid chaos to inspire their teams.”

— Lieutenant General (Ret) Nadja West, We Work for Change 2022 Speaker

West also answered questions from veteran families and youth attendees. Answering a question about what young people can do to work toward change and become leaders, West said, “Have the desire to do it. Have that desire, passion, and always ask the question, ‘why not me?’”

We Work for Change, presented by Bank of America, is United WE's signature annual fundraising event uniting women and allies to raise funds and awareness to advance all women's economic and civic leadership. The event has inspired generations of women and men to work towards a more gender equitable world. 

“Bank of America is committed to gender equity within our own organization and throughout society, and we support United WE’s mission to advance economic and civic opportunities for women,” said Linda Lenza, Senior Vice President and Market Executive, Bank of America Kansas City. “We are proud to be presenting sponsor of We Work for Change which celebrates and inspires progress for generations of women.”   

Hosted at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and through a virtual livestream, attendees included political leaders from across state and party lines like Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt and Missouri Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe. Kehoe spoke about his support for United WE’s work in improving access to childcare for women across both state lines. 

The 2022 We Work for Change Event raised nearly $680,000 and counting to support the United WE mission and programs, including the commission of transformative research, support for barrier-removing policy reforms, advocating for the legacies of women, and more. United WE’s strategic investments and passionate work have resulted in work across seven states, including 22 impactful research studies, 51 meaningful policy actions, and 180+ women appointed to civic leadership positions through the Appointments Project®. 

“We know our work for change requires persistence and perseverance, and that our framework of research, solutions and results is something that works,” said Wendy Doyle, United WE President and CEO. “And [it] can be repeated, again and again, as we tackle economic barriers holding women back.”

Join United WE in creating meaningful change for all women and learn more at www.united-we.org.

About United WE

United WE (United Women’s Empowerment) is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance all women’s economic and civic leadership. Since 1991, United WE has overcome systemic barriers to women’s economic development and civic leadership by investing in research, advocacy and policy solutions. We have conducted 22 meaningful research studies, advocated for issues resulting in 51 policy actions and supported more than 180+ civic appointments. Our work positively impacts hundreds of thousands of women and families by commissioning transformative research, scaling our fast-growing Appointments Project®, advocating for reforms that honor the legacies of women, and contributing to policy solutions that advance equal pay, paid family leave, affordable childcare and occupational licensing, and aid in fighting against sexual harassment. Unite with us. Visit www.united-we.org and connect with @UnitedWeEmpower on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

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United WE President & CEO Wendy Doyle, Ret. Lt. Gen. Nadja West, MO Lt. Gen. Mike Kehoe

Ret. Lt. Gen. Nadja West with Honorary Chairs Mary Jane Judy and Dan Cranshaw

Ret. Lt. Gen. Nadja West with Co-Chairs Qiana Thomason and Jenny Housley

From Our President & CEO: A First-Of-Its-Kind Economic Development Initiative

Our daily work involves advocating for women’s equality. We focus on a variety of issues, from equal pay to childcare access to occupational licensing. We know that workforces, communities, and families are better off when the women involved in them are heard and supported. After much strategic planning and preparation, we took our work a big leap forward this week with a first-of-its-kind initiative to address women’s economic wellbeing in Missouri. 

As announced on June 21, we are launching a Missouri Women’s Economic Development Task Force to study the issues surrounding women’s participation and advancement in the workforce. We’re beaming with excitement to be the leaders trailblazing a path with the first task force devoted to women’s economic development in Missouri. This initiative will shed light on what is holding women back so we can generate fresh solutions to longstanding challenges.

Through this initiative, we will make policy recommendations to improve outcomes for women in Missouri. Our goal is to ensure that we’re creating impact - not just right now - but for years to come as we support future generations of women. In addition, we anticipate that our approach will be a model for other states. A dedicated, coordinated effort to understand women’s issues is more critical than ever, as the number of women participating in the workforce right now has declined to what it was in 1988. Economic empowerment for women is a moral imperative. We don’t have a moment to spare.   

The task force will draw on existing research commissioned by United WE, including the Status of Women in Missouri and The Coronavirus Impact on Missouri Women reports. It will draw on hearing firsthand from as many women as possible in Missouri through 7 town halls throughout the state this summer. Their work will culminate in a series of policy recommendations for state leaders and lawmakers at the end of 2021. This monumental project has been made possible by generous funding from Missouri Foundation for Health, Centene Corporation and Cerner. 

So, how will we execute and achieve results? Following this week’s kickoff, the task force will convene in the early fall to discuss the quantitative and qualitative data from real Missouri women. We will listen, analyze, and be creative about pragmatic solutions. I’m most excited to see how these insights better translate our research into actionable change. Data and stories not only inform, but inspire policy changes that address the everyday experiences of women working across Missouri, from the boardroom to the hair salon.

Meet our Task Force Members

We are the first organization to take on such an effort in Missouri, and are honored to be joined by an incredible group of women leaders across industries, locations and backgrounds. It should come as no surprise that this is a group of immensely talented and passionate individuals who share our vision to elevate and advance women’s equity, and we are excited for the future! Thank you to our task force members; meet them here. 

Gender equity is a workforce and economic development issue that demands attention as we navigate a “new normal.” Change is needed today in order to address inequities that exist for women everywhere. We’re proud of our progress to date, but we’re ready and open to the changes that we’ll see as a result of our task force and town halls. We’re embracing change today. Come along with us as we trailblaze new paths, identify new solutions and make meaningful impact for women in the Heartland and beyond. 

Kindly,

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Follow Wendy on Twitter and LinkedIn.

An Update from Wendy Doyle: Entrepreneurship & Occupational Licensing Reform in 2021

On May 20, I had the pleasure of speaking at a forum organized by the Kauffman Foundation. The event, titled “Access to Opportunity: Creating a Level Playing Field for Entrepreneurship,” provided a platform for researchers and practitioners to share research, insights, and experiences on entrepreneurship. 

Our research shows that there are barriers for women entrepreneurs, despite women-owned businesses being on the rise. According to a report by the National Association of Women Business Owners, more than half of women business owners are the breadwinners in their families. And among women of color, it’s an even greater share — 65% — and these breadwinning entrepreneurs are being disproportionately affected.

United WE is committed to studying, educating and supporting occupational licensing reforms. We’ve seen that occupations primarily held by women are often among those that require licensure specific to state requirements. Today I’d like to share a few key takeaways with you to show why we are committed to understanding the challenges for entrepreneurs, and advocating for occupation licensing policy changes that address them.

Occupational Licensing Overview 

For decades, occupations like nursing, dentistry, medicine, pharmacy, and cosmetology have required licensure as a means of protecting the public. Because occupational licensing regulations are enforced and controlled by each state throughout the nation, there are varying requirements and qualifications. 

This makes reciprocity, the policy and process of accepting an individual’s license from another state, difficult due to significant disparities among state requirements.

Our Research

In 2016, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation funded our research in partnership with the University of Missouri Institute of Public Policy to produce a report on occupational licensing. The research showed state licensing requirements have a disproportionate impact on women when their license can’t be transferred from state to state. We learned that:

• Women have a higher proportion of professional licenses in healthcare, education and law.

• In Missouri, women hold active professional licenses at a rate 3 times higher than men.

• In the United States in 2015, 28.1% of employed women held a certification or license compared to 23.2% of employed men. 

The Importance of Occupational Licensing Reform 

Moving across state lines shouldn’t mean losing your ability to earn a living, but that’s the reality many families face as a result of licensing requirements. 

Earlier this year we held a roundtable with a range of women entrepreneurs and experts in the field of entrepreneurship across Kansas and Missouri to understand issues facing women entrepreneurs and possible solutions. 

Our research paired with what we heard from these women underscores the need for less red tape for women entrepreneurs and professionals. These changes will ease this burden on women and set the stage for a more economically powerful future.

United WE Commitment to Progress

United WE has had great success in achieving policy reform for occupational licensing, including reduced licensing fees barriers and licensing reciprocity for military spouses. More of our recent achievements are detailed here on our website. 

More than ever, policymakers need to prioritize the needs of women and families in their recovery plans. Occupational licensing reform cannot be temporary or overlooked; it’s necessary for creating opportunities for prospective business owners, particularly those underrepresented in entrepreneurship today.

I encourage you to take action and visit our website to explore ways you can get involved and to view our full research report on occupational licensing.

Kindly,

Wendy D. Doyle

United WE President & CEO

From Our President & CEO: A Tribute To Our Service Members

As we approach Memorial Day, I encourage you to pause and reflect on the importance of this day. Open your ears and your heart to our community’s heroes. Service members put their lives on the line each day and their family members make great sacrifices for their loved ones to serve and protect our communities. Investing in their families is a fitting tribute to those individuals who chose to serve their communities.

This Memorial Day, I’m more reflective than ever as hundreds of thousands of American lives have been lost to COVID-19. I think about the women and families, military personnel, public safety officers, veterans, and others whose lives have been impacted. Despite the circumstances, they believed in a cause and showed up each day to fight for progress and change. If the past year has taught us anything, it’s that we must stand up for what we believe. We must overcome no matter the circumstances. No matter how high the barriers may seem. No matter how impossible the challenges may appear.

Supporting military spouses and families through our policy work is a small token of gratitude for families of fallen or injured veterans, first responders and public safety officers. United WE is a leader in creating gender equity, but our work wouldn’t be possible without state leaders who collaborate with us to advance our mission.

• An example is HB 2021 that Governor Laura Kelly recently signed into law in Kansas. This important legislation furthers our mission to advance all women’s economic leadership by expanding an education fund for military and first responder spouses and family members of heroes that died, and now includes individuals injured in the line of duty. Legislation like HB 2021 is vital for the many who have lost loved ones in the line of duty and is a step in the right direction to support the dignity and livelihood of survivors and families of our heroes.

• In addition, we are proud to see continued support from the legislature and Governor Parson for the Veterans’ Survivor Grant Program we advocated for in Missouri. This program helps improve the financial well-being of military and first responder families and strengthen our economy.

• Finally, United WE has had great success in achieving policy reform for occupational licensing, including reduced licensing fees barriers and licensing reciprocity for military spouses. More of our recent achievements are detailed here on our website.

The economic development and empowerment of women begins with understanding what is holding women back and then generating fresh solutions to longstanding challenges. We listened and learned from the challenges our military families face through our research. We developed innovative solutions to drive policy, change, and reduced barriers for military spouses and their families. We still have work to do, and with your support, will continue to listen and generate pragmatic solutions. 

This Memorial Day, I encourage you to unite with us in listening and reflecting. Ask yourself, “How can I support and remove obstacles for America’s families and our service members?”

Kindly,

P.S. Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn to learn more about exciting developments coming this summer as we listen, identify solutions and make recommendations to improve the economic well-being of women through the largest effort of its kind in Missouri. 

From Our President & CEO: Celebrating Black Women this Black History Month with Tangible Action

As you know, February is Black History Month. You have likely seen stories of success, tribulations and inspiration throughout your newsfeeds. February gives us a dedicated time for acknowledging the courageous black women who have shaped our history and the progress being made in our communities. But if there is anything we learned from 2020, it is that talking about and celebrating history makers is not enough. We must be proactive in creating tangible change and systems that invest in the economic and civic leadership of women of color. United WE advocates for all women, especially women of color, in our work throughout the year. We are encouraged by some of our recent success in creating more equal opportunity for Black women in our key initiatives. A few highlights: 

Pay Equity

• We know that Black women are underpaid and impacted by the wage gap more than other women. Research shows that salary history bans increase pay for Black women. We continue to advocate for salary history bans for all women across Kansas and Missouri and successfully partnered with Kansas City, Missouri, to ban salary history on employment applications.

Child Care Providers

• Research shows that women of color make up the majority of the child care workforce. COVID-19 has exacerbated existing concerns for providers including margins, compensation, enrollment predictability, and job security. In January 2021 we conducted a roundtable with child care providers, early child care experts and advocates, and discussed tangible ways we can advocate for the improvement of working conditions for these women.

Occupational Licensing

• Our research shows that occupational licensing can often create unnecessary barriers for women entrepreneurs, especially if expensive fees are required. We continue efforts that stem from our success in 2018 with Missouri House Bill 1500, which allowed hair braiders to earn a living without obtaining a cosmetology license. We recently testified for a current bill under consideration to reduce shampoo licensing requirements for women cosmetology entrepreneurs.

Civic Leadership

• We recently launched new Appointments Project efforts in Kansas City, Missouri, Jackson County, Missouri and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania intentionally focused on increasing the number of women of color in civic leadership positions. To date, 28% of Appointments Project appointees are women of color. We are grateful for community partners like Black Excellence KC, Sisters’ Circle Greater Kansas City, and local chapters of The Links, Inc. and Alpha Kappa Alpha, who encourage women of color to participate in the Appointments Project.

We will continue to work for change for women. We will continue to listen with intentionality and understand the unique barriers at the intersectionality of gender and race. And we will ensure women of color have a seat at the civic leadership table. Not just this month, but until we achieve equality. 

In our February 2021 newsletter we are introducing a new monthly video series, Take Three with Wendy. These 3-question interviews will allow us to learn from and be inspired by women in our communities. In honor of Black History Month and a prelude to Women’s History Month, our first feature is civic leader, civil rights activist and United WE advisory council member Joanne Collins, the first African American woman elected to serve on the Kansas City, Missouri City Council. I’m pleased to share my conversation with Joanne and hope you enjoy it; click below to view.

Take Three with Wendy: Episode 1

Warmly,

P.S. Women’s History Month begins next week on March 1, and International Women’s Day is March 8. Last month, I challenged you to think about how you can advocate for women in 2021. Now is your chance! Join us as we #Unite4Women and #ChoosetoChallenge throughout March.