About the Institute
The needs and concerns of women in their public and working lives have unique economic, political, social, and educational characteristics. Addressing these inter-related factors while raising awareness about relevant policies and programs are the primary functions of the Institute for Women and Work (IWW), a program of the ILR School at Cornell University.
The IWW is an applied research and educational resource center, which provides a forum for examining and evaluating the forces that affect women and work. The institute offers opportunities for women in New York State and nationally to develop skills, create linkages, explore concerns, build support systems, obtain technical assistance, and exchange ideas. With offices in New York City and Ithaca, and at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington D.C., the IWW is positioned to influence public policy, offer expert training, host seminars, and create connections among workers, advocates, employers, students, academics, and others who share a concern about women's role in the workplace.
The institute is currently working with Betty Friedan, distinguished visiting professor at ILR, on "The New Paradigm Project: Women, Men, Work, Family and Public Policy." This four-year initiative, funded by the Ford Foundation, comprises a series of symposia, roundtable strategy sessions, and research conferences that address issues such as:
- the restructured workplace and its impact on working families from low- to mid-level-income occupations;
- corporate social responsibility and labor law reform in an age of international competition;
- legislative initiatives on child care, contingent work, and universal health care.
- The institute also undertakes research projects and organizes stand-alone conferences.
Study topics range from paid family leave in New York State to the misclassification of workers as independent contractors, violations of child labor laws, pay equity, and women in nontraditional employment (the blue-collar trades).
Recently, IWW hosted an event in Bellagio, Italy that brought together scholars, activists, and government representatives primarily from the industrial nations to explore the links between national economies and life quality. The conference was the first step towards the development of a transatlantic learning community devoted to balancing work and family life while ensuring gender equality and worker protections in the 21st century workplace.
Origin
The Institute for Women and Work was founded in 1972 by Barbara Mayer Wertheimer, Associate Professor of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University's New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations. In 1977, it was fully integrated as an Institute at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University.
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Sponsored by the AFL-CIO and Working America
Financial Support
The Institute for Women and Work is funded in part by the New York State Legislature and by endowments from private benefactors, as well as supplemental grants and funding from private foundations and unions.
Contractual Agreements
The Institute for Women and Work contracts with various federal, state, and private organizations and unions to conduct educational courses, applied research, and training on women's role in the workplace.
