Help 80 Women Find Jobs & Financial Independence

Women have experienced higher rates of joblessness than men since the start of the covid-19 pandemic and Black and Latina women's jobless rates are recovering more slowly than White women's jobless rates. -Bloomberg News

Women's Employment Network's mission is to help women achieve economic self-sufficiency through sustained employment, so we are worried and discouraged by reports like this.

“Women are leaving the workforce at four times the rate as men. The burden of parenting and running a household while also working a job during the pandemic has created a pressure cooker environment in many households, and women are bearing the brunt of it.” -NPR News

We see first-hand the very real financial consequences that are being borne largely by women, and disproportionately by BIWOC (Black, Indigenous, and women of color) right here in Kansas City.

The pandemic is eroding progress made by women in the workplace, a new report by Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In foundation finds. "COVID-19 threatens to roll back the progress we have painstakingly made over the last five to 10 years for women in the workplace." -Sheryl Sandberg, NPR News

The news is clear. Women need support-now more than ever. Women struggling don't just need help to find work or to learn financial skills, they need a network of support.

A new study shows that women are almost three times more likely than men not to be working due to childcare demands because of the pandemic. -CBS News

We're not sharing these reports to contribute to the anxiety and hopelessness many women are struggling with. Rather, we draw strength from the resolve of women like this mother who left her job in communications in July to care for her two-year-old son:

"'I’m determined to return to the workforce,' said Weindruch, even if that means 'starting a few steps behind.'"  -Nancy Weindruch, Bloomberg News

WEN is determined, too. We are determined to provide virtual training and one-on-one coaching to women seeking economic independence and sustained employment. We are especially determined to help those women who may not have a network of support in their lives and who may be facing additional barriers to economic recovery. Your gift lets us help women feel determined, too. 

"One of the things that my son always says when he goes to bed is, 'Who's gonna watch me?' He worries, he can't sleep right because he doesn't know where he's going to be." -Clara Vazquez, CBS News

We are having to be more resilient than ever to pivot rapidly to help the women in our project face the workplace environment with grit and flexibility. Women's Employment Network supports women with personalized coaching that approaches the whole woman, offering a network of support that addresses her job search, budget, credit, career development, and personal development. Your gift helps us directly address the real challenges women are facing right now.

When we last provided you with a project report, we were settling into our new building and preparing for our WEN Annual Luncheon 2020. Just weeks later, we were quickly converting our luncheon to a virtual event while figuring out how to provide services to clients during physical distancing.

YOU are part of a network of staff, volunteers, employers, and donors who help women in our community move forward.