US Department of Labor announces funding availability of $1.5M in grants to better inform women about labor rights, benefits

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $1.5 million funding opportunity available to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to develop partnerships with community-based organizations and other non-profits to conduct outreach to women workers to help them understand and exercise their rights and benefits in the workplace. The fund will support up to six grants.

Administered by the department’s Women’s Bureau and the Employment and Training Administration, the Fostering Access, Rights and Equity grants are designed to help low-wage women workers.

“The pandemic exposed the current system’s failure to protect or serve women workers adequately, especially low-paid women and workers of color,” said Women’s Bureau Director Wendy Chun-Hoon. “The Fostering Access, Rights and Equity partnerships will inform women about their labor rights and benefits. They will also help ensure that women workers share in the prosperity of the nation’s economic recovery.”

Applicants must provide one or more of the following services:

• Providing outreach to vulnerable, low-income and marginalized women workers.
• Disseminating educational materials through varied platforms, including social media, in-person or virtual events, brochures and leaflets, one-on-one consultations and other outreach.
• Assisting women workers with navigating and calculating benefits and connecting and referring women workers to additional services, benefits and/or legal assistance.
• Raising awareness of women’s rights to benefits and assistance in their own communities.

Learn more about FARE grants and how to apply. Contact Andrea Hill at hill.andrea@dol.gov for more information.