AAUW supports affirmative action programs that establish equal opportunity for women and minorities and improve gender, racial, and ethnic diversity in educational institutions and in workplaces.1 AAUW's mission to promote gender equity in school and at work is founded on the belief, articulated in AAUW's legislative program since 1939, that all individuals have the right to full and free opportunity intellectually, socially, and economically, including the right to be employed according to abilities without regard to sex.
Despite the clear progress women have made over years, ensuring equal opportunity for women in education and the paid workforce remains an elusive goal, in part because women continue to face discrimination. AAUW believes that affirmative action programs have begun to break down the barriers that confront women and minorities in education and employment, and these programs remain essential to ensure equal access to all professions at all levels through recruitment, outreach, and training.
AAUW's Affirmative Action Resource Kit contains information on state-based anti-affirmative action initiatives and a variety of useful resources for taking action against them. It also contains step-by-step suggestions to help you plan a counter campaign and turn out voters to defeat such measures.
For more information, call 202/785-7793 or e-mail VoterEd@aauw.org.
AAUW Public Policy and Government Relations
1 American Association of University Women. (June 2009). 2009-11 AAUW Public Policy Program. Retrieved July 9, 2009, from http://www.aauw.org/advocacy/issue_advocacy/principles_priorities.cfm.
