The Women’s Bureau hosted an event featuring the life and work of New Deal attorney and Supreme Court advocate Bessie Margolin at the Frances Perkins building in Washington D.C. on March 22. The celebration of Women’s History Month featured biographer Marlene Trestman, who discussed many of the significant contributions of Margolin, most notably propelling the child labor, minimum wage, and overtime protections of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 through the nation’s highest courts. More than 50 attendees also heard remarks from Women’s Bureau Deputy Director Pronita Gupta and Solicitor of Labor Patricia Smith.

In honor of International Women’s Day, the Women’s Bureau participated in events in Boston and Dallas. The Boston office held an engaging discussion on March 8 at Simmons College. “When Women Set the Agenda: Equal Pay, Paid Family Leave, and Child Care” was organized in tandem with the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women and the City of Boston’s Office of Women’s Advancement. Additionally, the Women's Bureau participated in the 15th Annual Dallas Celebration of International Women’s Day, focusing on the myriad challenges that working women face including income inequality and lack of access to paid family and medical leave.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Women’s Bureau collaborated with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Multicultural Involvement and Community Advocacy office on the main campus of the University of Maryland for an equal pay presentation March 23. Rose Holandez, acting regional administrator for the Philadelphia office, conducted a presentation on aspects of the wage gap, resources on equal pay, and the efforts of the Women’s Bureau and the National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force.  Mary Tiernan, program analyst for the EEOC, provided information and answered questions on what qualifies as gender-based pay discrimination and best practices for seeking assistance from the EEOC and the department.

As part of the Women’s Bureau’s commitment to increasing awareness of career opportunities in apprenticeship, the San Francisco regional office organized the Women’s Employment and Registered Apprenticeship fair in Phoenix. “In honor of Women’s History month, we want to help raise awareness about apprenticeship opportunities offered in fields considered non-traditional for women,” said Kelly Jenkins-Pultz, regional administrator for the Women’s Bureau San Francisco office. “We encourage job seekers to visit this web portal to look for career opportunities in construction, security and transportation.” 

The Women's Bureau took to the field this month to share information about jobs in the transportation industry and apprenticeship programs that help women access non-traditional occupations.

On March 23, the Seattle regional office hosted a webinar about women in transportation, during which they discussed employment opportunities within the transportation industry and how women are changing the labor market. The panel examined strategies to combat gender stereotypes, implicit bias and the wage gap in those workplaces. The Women's Bureau regional administrator Betty Lock opened the call and welcomed REAL Women in Trucking founder Desiree Wood, Compliance Maritime CEO Katharine Sweeney and Women in Aviation Washington State Chapter President Rebecca Burghy.

The next day, the Chicago regional office held a webinar about apprenticeship as a workforce development asset for women in Wisconsin and Minnesota. The directors of the Minnesota Legislative Office on the Economic Status of Women and the Wisconsin Women’s Council shared information about apprenticeship programs in their respective states. Afterwards, Apprenticeship Training Representative Mary Harrington from the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship outlined current efforts to increase the breadth of apprenticeship opportunities and diversity of the apprenticeship workforce. Following their presentations, women apprentices from both states shared their experiences working in trades, and then the presenters joined the attendees in a lively discussion. 

Recordings from these webinars will be available soon on the website. In the meantime, check out other webinars and resources on our Resources page, and visit our Women Build, Protect and Move America portal to learn more about nontraditional occupations for women.

With so many women making history today, it is critical to honor the trailblazers who made their success possible. This year’s Women’s History Month theme, “Working to Form a More Perfect Union: Honoring Women in Public Service and Government,” speaks directly to our work here in the Women’s Bureau at the Department of Labor, the federal government, and around the nation.

But I know it’s not just women making headlines who make a difference. That’s why I want to honor two former colleagues who made remarkable contributions.... Click here to continue reading