US Department of Labor awards nearly $2M in grants to help low wage-earning women access employment rights, benefits

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced the award of nearly $2 million in grant funding to support efforts by six non-profit organizations to help low wage-earning women understand and exercise their employment rights and benefits.

Employment and labor laws provide vital protections to workers, but violations are all too frequent. Many working women – who are disproportionately likely to work in low-wage industries where abuses are especially common – fear retaliation or job loss and are reluctant to file a complaint when their rights are violated or their benefits denied. The grants will enlist community-based organizations to reach working women and empower them to exercise their rights.

Administered by the department’s Women’s Bureau and its Employment and Training Administration, the Fostering Access, Rights and Equity grants fund projects designed to connect employed women to community services, benefits and legal assistance.

“The Fostering Access, Rights and Equity grants will fund much-needed outreach and education programs to help women learn about their rights as workers, how to take full advantage of their employment benefits and how to get legal help to protect their workers,” said U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor Julie A. Su. “These grants will strengthen community partnerships and align with our efforts to ensure working women have an equitable stake in our nation’s economic recovery.”

Grant recipients will provide the following types of support:

• Educational materials to share on social media, one-on-one consultations, and other forms of outreach.
• Assistance with navigating and calculating employment benefits.
• Guidance for women to access worker resources and legal assistance.
• Training for women to advocate for workers’ rights, benefits and assistance in their communities.

“Low-pay and poor job quality can often predict worksites where employees are not sure of their workplace rights or fear retaliation for speaking out about potential violations. By supporting organizations that empower women with information about their rights as workers and how to exercise them, we expand our leverage to improve outcomes in women-dominated, low-paid sectors of the nation’s workforce,” said Women’s Bureau Director Wendy Chun-Hoon. “These grants will help deliver the resources, services and assistance these workers need.”

Learn more about the FARE grant program and this year’s recipients.

A list of 2022 FARE grant recipients follows this release.