Over the past 14 decades, AAUW has evolved to become the leading voice in advancing gender equity in the U.S. Through research, education and advocacy, we’re committed to ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to learn, earn and lead. Our programs are created to support and move women forward—and we fight for policies that further our mission and goals.
2022 Year in Review
Relevant and Necessary
“AAUW’s work to advance gender equity is as relevant and necessary today as it has ever been. This past year millions of women – especially women of color – continued to struggle with economic security due to financial setbacks inflicted by the ongoing pandemic, and reproductive rights ramped up in activism as women’s health and fundamental rights came under siege. AAUW responded to these and so many key issues as it has every challenge since our founding: With a powerful voice and decisive action. Our key messages reached millions through national and social media channels and supporters sent tens of thousands of emails to lawmakers demanding action. We supported numerous gender discrimination lawsuits, and empowered thousands of women to advocate for themselves through workshops an online training. We forged partnerships and provided $6 million in funding (a new record!) to 320 scholars worldwide, and developed impactful research on issues critical to achieving gender equity. Now, as we head into our 142nd year, I am gratified to report that AAUW’s message is still resonating and making change. I look forward to partnering with all of you in the year ahead to ensure that we continue to take strides toward achieving equity for all.”
Reflecting on Achievements and Looking Ahead
Programs
A Year of Outreach
- Our media presence and visibility continued to expand with the CEO offering expertise via interviews in relevant and major publications, podcasts and news outlets like the Washington Post, Politico, MSNBC, the Miami Herald, and ABC News.
- In the third year of the pandemic, AAUW continued to grow its online programs, hosting more than 58 webinars.
- AAUW’s Start Smart and Work Smart salary negotiation trainings continued to be AAUW’s most sought-after programs, reaching more than 4,000 participants in 2022, and over 190,000 to date.
- We continued our work with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other minority-serving institutions (MSIs), thanks to a generous grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation. A total of 17 minority-serving colleges, including 8 HBCUs, 7 women’s colleges and 2 MSIs, now offer AAUW’s Start Smart training, bringing the number of colleges and universities currently hosting the program to 77.
- With funding from the National Science Foundation, we continued our work with the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) focused on faculty salary equity with our Let’s Talk Money collaboration.
- Our powerful annual National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL) engage over 500 students from more that 300 college campuses nationwide through workshops, panels and an inspiring keynote from Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of The 1619 Project.
- In its second year, AAUW’s STEMEd for Girls program gave over 200 participants and their caregivers the opportunity to explore STEM subjects and careers.
- Our robust social media presence continued to grow and our messages were seen more than 14 million times across a variety of platforms.
Public Policy
A Year of Action
- AAUW’s Two-Minute Activists sent 19,539 letters to elected officials calling for action on AAUW priorities such as pregnant worker fairness, voting rights, confirming Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, and more.
- The work of AAUW’s Legal Advocacy Fund (LAF) remained strong by supporting 7 active plaintiff cases in 2022 with resources to seek legal redress against pay inequity and other forms of sex discrimination.
Fellowships & Grants
A Year of Learning
- More than 320 recipients received $6 million in AAUW fellowships and grants for the 2022–23 academic year—the highest amount in our history! The funding advances educational and professional opportunities for women in the United States and around the globe.
- AAUW is one of the world’s leading supporters of post graduate education for women. Since 1888, it has awarded more than $140 million in fellowships, grants and awards to over 13,000 recipients from 145 countries. Candidates are selected based on scholarly excellence, quality and originality of project design, and active commitment to helping women and girls through service in their communities, professions, or fields of research.
Research
A Year of Discovery
- THE PERFECT STORM: How the Confluence of Generational Wealth Gaps, Gender and Racial Pay Gaps, and the COVID-19 Pandemic Exacerbated Student Loan Debt for Women of Color broke down the results of a survey of 1,521 women in New York City who were asked about their student loan debt during the pandemic. The results indicate glaring disparities in who accumulates student loan debt, with women of color encountering the greatest challenges due to the combination of wealth gaps, gender and racial pay gaps, and the economic instability caused by the pandemic.
- SIMPLE TRUTH THE ABOUT THE GENDER PAY GAP, 2022 Update used the earnings ratio of all workers for the first time — including seasonal and part-time employees — to capture a more accurate picture of the labor market. Previous versions of the report used only data of full-time workers.
- The Women’s Power Gap at Elite Universities: Scaling the Ivory Tower Though women have outnumbered men in colleges since the late 1970s, and college populations have become increasingly diverse, the people who are at the helm of our nation’s top universities are still predominantly white men. This report examines diversity data at the nation’s elite research universities (“R1s”). Conducted in partnership with the Women’s Power Gap Initiative (WPG) at the Eos Foundation, it found that women comprise just 22% of the 130 R1 leaders, and among these presidents, only 5% are women of color.
