Public Policy

AAUW Public Policy Program, 2011-2013

The Public Policy Program underscores AAUW’s mission of advancing equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research and speaks to women’s needs, aspirations, and concerns across the life span.  The work of AAUW builds upon more than 130 years of responsible public participation, and the following principles provide a basis for AAUW members’ actions at the local, state, national, and international levels.  Implicit in each of our principles is support for government agencies administering programs, including adequate appropriations, effective and accountable administration, and provision for citizen participation.  We advocate public discussion to ensure enlightened decisions on these principles.  We work to increase the number of underrepresented populations, including women, in policy and other decision-making positions.  AAUW is committed to working in partnership- with diverse allies and coalitions to break through educational and economic barriers for women and girls.

Biennial Action Priorities

1. To support a strong system of public education that promotes gender fairness, equity, and diversity, AAUW advocates:
   1. Adequate and equitable funding for quality public education for all students.
   2. Opposition to the use of public funds for nonpublic elementary and secondary education and to charter schools that do not adhere to the same civil rights and accountability standards as required of other public schools.
   3. Protection of programs that meet the needs of girls and women in elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education, including vigorous enforcement of Title IX and all other civil rights laws pertaining to education.
   4. Increased support for and access to higher education for women and disadvantaged populations/
   5. Increased support for programs that break through barriers for women and girls in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.
2. To achieve economic self-sufficiency for all women, AAUW advocates:
   1. Pay equity and fairness in compensation
   2. Equitable access and advancement in employment, including vigorous enforcement of employment antidiscrimination statutes.
   3. Greater availability of and access to a high standard of benefits and policies that promote work-life balance.
   4. Programs that provide women with education, training, and support for success in the workforce, including nontraditional occupations and women’s entrepreneurship.
   5. Strengthening programs, including welfare and career and technical education, to improve postsecondary education access, career development, and earning potential.
   6. Strengthening retirement benefits and programs, including pension improvements and protecting Social Security from privatization.
3. To guarantee equality, individual rights, and social justice for a diverse society, AAUW advocates:
   1. Vigorous protection of and full access to civil and constitutional rights.
   2. Choice in the determination of one’s reproductive life.
   3. Freedom from violence and fear of violence in homes, schools, workplaces, and communities.
   4. Increased access to quality, affordable health care and family planning services, including expansion of patients’ rights.
   5. Freedom in definition of family and guarantee of civil rights in all family structures.