Washington, DC—
On June 1, the Economic Security for Survivors Project (ESS Project), founded by Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW), transitioned to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), as WOW winds down its operations. The ESS project seeks to build, protect, and restore the economic security of survivors of intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and stalking so that they may be safe and free of abuse.
IWPR President Heidi Hartmann, Ph.D., provided the following statement on the transition:
“For 51 years, Wider Opportunities for Women was a pioneer in promoting women’s economic security through policy and practice. WOW’s work on women in nontraditional jobs and the economic security of families, elders, and survivors led to lasting policy and program change benefiting women around the country. IWPR is committed to carrying this important legacy forward as the steward of the Economic Security for Survivors Project and by housing many of WOW’s informational resources. IWPR has partnered closely with WOW for decades and has long admired the high quality of its research and technical assistance and the dedication of its staff and board. Although IWPR staff, like so many in our professional community, are sad to see WOW come to an end, we are honored to be entrusted with several of its ongoing projects and resources, and IWPR will strive, along with other organizations focused on economic equality, to carry on its path-breaking legacy.”
The Economic Security for Survivors Project identifies barriers that threaten survivor economic security and safety and offers solutions based on data and evidence-based practices. The project provides justice system professionals and community organizations with strategies, tools, education, and training to improve how policies and programs address the economic consequences of abuse and support survivors’ economic security. More information about the ESS Project, including associated resources, is available on IWPR’s website. For questions about the transition or the ESS Project, contact ESS Project Director Sarah Gonzalez Bocinski (gonzalez@iwpr.org) or Associate Director Malore Dusenbery (dusenbery@iwpr.org), who have joined the IWPR staff from WOW.
IWPR will also host WOW’s Basic Economic Security Tables (BEST) Index, which is a measure of the income that workers and their families need to meet basic needs and develop the savings that promotes life-long and intergenerational security. IWPR will serve as a repository for WOW’s past online reports, documents, and program information related to Family Economic Security and Nontraditional Jobs for Women. WOW’s past reports can currently be found on its website, www.wowonline.org.
The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that conducts rigorous research and disseminates its findings to address the needs of women and their families, promote public dialogue, and strengthen communities and societies.
