Spotlight: Sara Manzano-Díaz

by Caroline Dobuzinskis

Early on in her life, Sara Manzano-Díaz became an advocate for her family and those experiences would guide her to become an advocate for women and families throughout the United States. Ms. Manzano-Díaz is now the Director of the U.S. Women’s Bureau at the Department of Labor (DOL) where she serves to represent 72 million working women.

Ms. Manzano-Díaz developed her dedication and drive at an extraordinarily young age. Growing up in Puerto Rico, she became the family translator and wanted to be a lawyer from the age of five. She went on to earn a degree in public relations and communications from Boston University and a degree in law from Rutgers University.

Developed over 25 years in public service, Ms. Manzano-Díaz’s resume includes judicial, state, and federal titles: Deputy Secretary of State for Regulatory Programs at the Pennsylvania Department of State (appointed by Governor Edward G. Rendell), Deputy General Counsel for Civil Rights and Litigation at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Assistant Attorney General in New York, and a Judicial Assistant and Pro Se Attorney in the New York State Judiciary.

“As an attorney, I have spent my career advocating for the voiceless,” Ms. Manzano- Díaz told IWPR in an e-mail interview. “President Obama and [Secretaryof the U.S. DOL Hilda Solis] share that vision and passion to care for the most vulnerable members of society.”

Ms. Manzano Diaz also served as cochair of The Forum of Executive Women’s Mentoring Committee, which mentors young professional women as they begin their careers, and participated in Madrinas, a program that provides mentors for at-risk Latina girls to encourage them to finish high school and attend college.

As Director, Ms. Manzano-Díaz ’s four priorities for the Women’s Bureau areequal pay, workplace flexibility, higher paying jobs for women, and assisting women veterans experiencing homeless. Her strategy includes linking women to well-paying jobs in growing areas like the green economy and skilled trades. She also looks to support Latinas, the fastest growing female population in the United States, through training and education. IWPR was honored to have Sara Manzano-Díaz as keynote speaker at a launch event at the Woodrow Wilson Center for our latest report on immigration, Organizations Working with Latina Immigrants: Resources and Strategies for Change.

On Equal Pay Day, April 12 this year, Ms. Manzano-Díaz conveyed her dedication to closing the gender wage gap in an article that was published on several blogs, including IWPR’s FemChat.

“As a woman and a public servant, I am proud of the Labor Department’s role in advocating for issues that positively improve equal pay for women and their families,” wrote Ms. Manzano-Díaz. “And, we want to assure women that this administration will continue to enforce the laws that protect wages, to level the playing field for employers who play by the rules, and to work toward fixing policies that impact women in the workplace.”