Wider Opportunities for Women

Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW) was a national nonprofit organization in the United States established in 1962 by Jane Fleming and Mary Janney in Washington, D.C. Its work centered on improving women's access to paid employment, occupational training, public benefits, and economic-security policy. Rather than operating primarily as a consumer-facing product brand, WOW functioned as an advocacy, research, coalition-building, and workforce-development organization whose name represented a sustained social mission. In its early years, WOW benefited from support by women serving in important government and civic positions. Mary Bunting, then president of Radcliffe College, provided early guidance, while the District of Columbia Department of Employment Services supplied initial office space and materials. The organization initially operated with volunteers and concentrated on practical employment assistance. By the late 1960s, it had produced and sold approximately 10,000 copies of a guide to part-time work and educational opportunities in the Washington metropolitan area. During the same period, it developed into a staffed nonprofit and operated a women's career center that helped hundreds of women find employment. During the 1970s, WOW moved beyond helping women enter traditionally female occupations such as clerical and health-aide work. It increasingly promoted access to nontraditional occupations that were better paid and had historically been treated as male domains. The organization's work intersected with federal equal-employment and affirmative-action policy, including the 1967 amendment to Executive Order 11246 concerning women employed by federal contractors. WOW also became active in employment and training legislation. Its Women's Work Force Network, created in 1977 as a nationwide network of women's employment programs, helped advocate for sex-equity language in the 1978 reauthorization of the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act. The resulting provision became known as the “WOW paragraph.” In the 1980s, the organization placed greater emphasis on equal access to employment and training systems and on reducing occupational segregation. In the 1990s and early 2000s, it broadened its framework from women's workforce participation to intergenerational economic security. The Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Project, established in 1996, developed and promoted the Self-Sufficiency Standard, a geographically specific measure of the income families need to cover essentials such as housing, child care, food, health care, transportation, and taxes. WOW reported building 35 statewide coalitions and a District of Columbia coalition around this work, involving community organizations, government agencies, employers, and labor representatives. WOW also addressed the economic needs of older adults. Its Elder Economic Security Initiative was established in 2006 following collaboration with the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The initiative's Elder Economic Security Standard Index was designed to estimate the income older adults need to meet basic expenses and remain in their homes, including housing, health care, transportation, and food. The tool was intended for policymakers, aging advocates, and other organizations developing programs for economic security in later life. The organization maintained a strong Washington-area presence through programs and coalitions. These included the DC Jobs Council, an informal consortium formed in 1999 to help nonprofit organizations respond to changes associated with the Workforce Investment Act; the DC Women's Agenda, established with the DC Employment Justice Center in 2003; and Washington Area Women in the Trades, created in 2007 with the YWCA National Capital Area and the Community Services Agency of the Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO. Across these activities, WOW's positioning combined women's equality, practical workforce access, occupational mobility, and data-informed economic-policy advocacy. The organization's current operating status and present-day corporate structure are not established by the supplied reference material.

Wider Opportunities for Women was founded in Washington, D.C., in 1962 by Jane Fleming and Mary Janney. Early assistance came from Mary Bunting, president of Radcliffe College, and from the District of Columbia Department of Employment Services, which provided office space and supplies. The organization began as a volunteer effort supporting women's access to employment and education. By the end of the 1960s, it had become a staffed nonprofit with a women's career center and had produced a guide to part-time work and educational opportunities in the Washington metropolitan area. During the 1970s, WOW changed its emphasis from placing women mainly in clerical and health-aide positions to opening routes into nontraditional occupations with higher earning potential. This work took place amid changes in federal affirmative-action policy affecting women employed by government contractors. WOW also became involved in employment and training legislation. In 1977 it created the Women's Work Force Network, a national network of women's employment programs. The network supported efforts that contributed to the inclusion of sex-equity language in the 1978 reauthorization of the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act. The related statutory provision became known as the “WOW paragraph.” In the 1980s, WOW concentrated increasingly on equal access to employment and training systems and on reducing occupational segregation. Its later work adopted a broader economic-security perspective. The Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Project was established in 1996 in response to what the organization viewed as the weakening of federal influence over policies affecting low-income families. The project developed the Self-Sufficiency Standard, a location-sensitive calculation of the income a family requires to pay for basic needs, including housing, child care, food, health care, transportation, and taxes. WOW subsequently reported establishing coalitions in 35 states and the District of Columbia, linking community organizations, public agencies, employers, and labor. WOW extended this framework to older adults through the Elder Economic Security Initiative, established in 2006. The initiative followed a partnership with the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston and produced the Elder Economic Security Standard Index. This measure was intended to help policymakers and aging advocates understand the income required for older people to meet basic expenses and age in place. The organization also developed or supported several metropolitan Washington programs. The DC Jobs Council began in 1999 as a volunteer consortium helping nonprofit organizations respond to workforce-system changes associated with the Workforce Investment Act. In 2003, WOW partnered with the DC Employment Justice Center to establish the DC Women's Agenda, a coalition addressing equality and the well-being of women and girls in the District. In 2007, WOW joined the YWCA National Capital Area and the Community Services Agency of the Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO, to create Washington Area Women in the Trades, which offered no-cost skills, pre-vocational, and pre-apprenticeship training for women entering construction-trade careers. The supplied references do not establish WOW's current legal status, leadership, or website.

• 2007

  Washington Area Women in the Trades created

  [1]Wider Opportunities for Womenen.wikipedia.org

  WOW joined regional partners to provide women with no-cost skills, pre-vocational, and pre-apprenticeship training for construction-trade careers.

• 2006

  Elder Economic Security Initiative established

  [1]Wider Opportunities for Womenen.wikipedia.org

  WOW created an initiative addressing older adults' economic security and promoted the Elder Economic Security Standard Index.

• 2003

  DC Women's Agenda established

  [1]Wider Opportunities for Womenen.wikipedia.org

  WOW partnered with the DC Employment Justice Center to create a coalition focused on equality and the well-being of women and girls in Washington, D.C.

• 1999

  DC Jobs Council formed

  [1]Wider Opportunities for Womenen.wikipedia.org

  WOW helped establish an informal consortium supporting nonprofit organizations navigating changes in workforce-development policy and delivery.

• 1996

  Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Project established

  [1]Wider Opportunities for Womenen.wikipedia.org

  WOW launched the project that developed and promoted the Self-Sufficiency Standard for assessing geographically specific family income needs.

• 1978

  Sex-equity language associated with the WOW paragraph

  [1]Wider Opportunities for Womenen.wikipedia.org

  The Women's Work Force Network participated in efforts connected with sex-equity provisions in the reauthorization of the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act.

• 1977

  Women's Work Force Network established

  [1]Wider Opportunities for Womenen.wikipedia.org

  WOW created a nationwide network of women's employment programs to coordinate advocacy and workforce-development efforts.

• 1962

  Organization founded

  [1]Wider Opportunities for Womenen.wikipedia.org

  Jane Fleming and Mary Janney established Wider Opportunities for Women in Washington, D.C., as a nonprofit focused on expanding women's access to work and education.

• 1960

  Career and opportunity guide published

  [1]Wider Opportunities for Womenen.wikipedia.org

  During the late 1960s, WOW produced and sold approximately 10,000 copies of a guide covering part-time employment and education opportunities in the Washington metropolitan area.

A nonprofit advocacy and workforce-development organization advancing women's access to employment, training, nontraditional occupations, and long-term economic security.

• Economic-security measurement tool · 1996

  Self-Sufficiency Standard

  The Self-Sufficiency Standard estimates the income a working family needs to meet basic expenses without relying on public assistance. It accounts for geographic location and household composition and includes costs such as housing, child care, food, health care, transportation, and taxes. WOW used the measure in research, coalition work, and policy advocacy concerning low-income families.

• Economic-security measurement tool · 2006

  Elder Economic Security Standard Index

  The Elder Economic Security Standard Index measures the income older adults need to meet essential living costs and age in place. Developed through WOW's elder-security work and collaboration with the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, it considers expenses including housing, health care, transportation, and food.

• Workforce-development network · 1977

  Women's Work Force Network

  Established in 1977, the Women's Work Force Network connected women's employment programs across the United States. It supported coordination, advocacy, and efforts to make employment and public training systems more equitable for women.

• Training program · 2007

  Washington Area Women in the Trades

  This Washington-area program provided women with no-cost skills, pre-vocational, and pre-apprenticeship preparation for nontraditional construction-trade careers. It reflected WOW's emphasis on access to higher-paying occupations historically dominated by men.

• 2006Elder Economic Security Initiative

  United States

  WOW expanded its economic-security work to older adults, focusing on the costs of aging in place and the adequacy of available income.

  Outcome. The initiative promoted the Elder Economic Security Standard Index for use by policymakers and aging advocates.

  Source
• 1996Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Project

  United States

  WOW created a policy and coalition initiative focused on measuring the resources families need to achieve economic independence.

  Outcome. The initiative developed the Self-Sufficiency Standard and was associated with coalitions in 35 states and the District of Columbia.

  Source
• 1977Women's Work Force Network

  United States

  WOW organized a national network of women's employment programs to advance equal access to employment and training and to support sex-equity advocacy in federal workforce legislation.

  Outcome. The network was involved in advocacy associated with sex-equity language in the 1978 Comprehensive Employment and Training Act reauthorization, later referred to as the WOW paragraph.

  Source

• 2006

  Expansion into elder economic securityStrategy

  Background

  WOW's economic-security approach was extended beyond working-age women and families to older adults facing essential living costs.

  Action taken

  WOW established the Elder Economic Security Initiative and promoted a standard for evaluating older adults' income needs.

  Aftermath

  The organization broadened its policy audience to include aging advocates and policymakers concerned with aging in place.

  Source

• 1996

  Adoption of an intergenerational economic-security frameworkStrategy

  Background

  WOW identified a need for stronger state and local tools addressing the economic circumstances of low-income families.

  Action taken

  It established the Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Project and centered its work on the Self-Sufficiency Standard.

  Aftermath

  The framework expanded WOW's role from employment advocacy into data-supported economic-policy and coalition work.

  Source

• 1970

  Shift toward nontraditional occupationsStrategy

  Background

  WOW's early employment work had included clerical and health-aide positions, while many higher-paying occupations remained indirectly reserved for men.

  Action taken

  The organization increasingly directed training, placement, and advocacy toward women's entry into nontraditional and better-paid occupations.

  Aftermath

  This approach became a central part of WOW's equal-access and occupational-desegregation work.

  Source

1. 1Wider Opportunities for Womenen.wikipedia.org