Institute for Women's Policy Research

The Institute for Women’s Policy Research founded and led by economist Heidi Hartmann, conducts and communicates research to inspire public dialogue, shape policy, and improve the lives and opportunities of women of diverse backgrounds, circumstances, and experiences. The research produced by IWPR is directed towards improve institutional practices and public policies.

Two MacArthur Fellows, economist Heidi Hartmann, President and CEO of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (George Washington University) and labor organizer Ai-jen Poo, Executive Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance are featured speakers of this event held at The New America Foundation in Washington, D.C.  They are joined by Maya Rockeymoore, President and CEO of Global Policy Solutions. 

Context:

America’s care infrastructure is a patchwork of poorly funded and disjointed programs that do not adequately meet the needs of 21st Century working families. With a rapidly aging population and Millennials having children of their own, family caregivers and young parents are overstretched, and our care workforce is woefully unprepared for the nation’s growing care needs.

This looming crisis presents a rare opportunity to reimagine how we provide care in America. From paid family leave for the birth of a child, to paying for child care to allow for a parent to return to the workforce, to providing support for people with disabilities as they occur throughout the lifecycle, to long term care for our aging parents and grandparents, we can create a streamlined, modern social contract designed for living and working in today's economic reality. And while the nation struggles to create sustainable, living wage jobs, we can also professionalize and improve the millions of care jobs that will be the backbone of a new care economy.

To support the Child Care Technical Assistance Project (over two years).

To provide research and technical assistance to state-based advocates on the financing of early child care and education (over two years).

To support policy analysis and communications activities (over two years).

To develop research and training materials for the Coordinating Nationwide Research Efforts on Welfare Reform: Including Women's Concerns project.