U.S. Department of Labor
Women's Bureau
Women's Bureau Recent Speeches

Women Work National Conference
Hyatt Regency - Capitol Hill
November 8, 2001 Washington, DC

"Thank you for your kind introduction. It is certainly a pleasure to be here with you and to join you for your conference. I also bring greetings to you from Secretary Chao, who is working tirelessly along side the President to keep Americans out of harm's way and our American workforce resolute after the September 11th disaster."

"This includes President Bush's Back to Work Relief Package which provides, among many things, emergency funding to states to pay for training, career counseling and child care, to help workers find new jobs. It includes extended benefits through the Department of Labor's unemployment insurance system, funded at over $30 billion, to provide services and a steady income to dislocated workers and their families. And for those who were self-employed or ineligible for traditional Federal employment programs, there are emergency programs that provide income support payments and health insurance assistance. And this is just the beginning of our outreach efforts at the Department of Labor to ensure workers' safety. You can keep up to date on the programs by going to the Department of Labor's website at www.dol.gov".

"It has been six months since I was confirmed by the Senate as the Director of the Women's Bureau. And it is an honor to serve Secretary Chao, the President and American working women."

" Last week, the Women's Bureau hosted its pre-award conference in Washington with the new WANTO grantees. This year as with the last WANTO grant period, it was a pleasure to see displaced homemaker services providers among the new grantees. And I encourage all of you to use the Department's programs to support the great work you do."

"My experience in working with displaced homemaker programs began long before I came to the Women's Bureau. As the Director of the Illinois Department of Labor, I had the opportunity to work with 12 displaced homemaker centers to learn about and appreciate what you do. The Illinois Department of Labor, like the Women's Bureau, has a longstanding relationship with displaced homemakers and Women Work! because we share common goals and objectives - - we all want women to be all that they can be - - and be so rewarded, both financially and personally."

"In keeping with those goals, there are a couple of current Women's Bureau initiatives that I would like to share with you, but first you need to know the context in which they were conceptualized. When I first came to the Women's Bureau, I sat down with Secretary Chao for a discussion about her vision. Secretary Chao said that under her leadership, the department's first responsibility will always be to protect workers by enforcing our nation's labor law

• To ensure the safety of every workplace through compliance assistance
• To guarantee an honest day's pay for an honest day's work
• To stop discrimination
• To protect workers from coercion and intimidation

And, protect the pensions of the American Workers."

"From that discussion, I was able to craft several initiatives for the Women's Bureau in a holistic approach to addressing the Secretary's concerns. My initiatives are (1) to help women feel safe; (2) to help women achieve competency in high technology; (3) to help women achieve financial security. In the developmental stage is our 911 project to give working women basic tools for keeping safe during the aftermath of the September 11th attack."

"Projections for future growth indicate that computers, software and applications for information technology will continue to have a substantial impact on the life and employment opportunities of American workers, as well as provide greater financial independence. The high technology initiative is an important step toward greater opportunities for women in the work place."

" Several national projects developed by the Women's Bureau to address the high technology initiative include:

• a "Computer Training for Rural Women" program in collaboration with Everywoman's Center, which provides a hands-on, customized, job-market-tailored computer training for women, including displaced homemakers, in rural locations in Western New York. This locally based instruction will allow the participants to improve their technology skills, become more competitive for jobs and capable of achieving economic self-sufficiency. We will sponsor these training sessions at five different centers during a 12-month period. In addition, the women will receive support services to help them secure technology related jobs after completing their courses.
• Another project, in collaboration with the Department's Employment and Training Administration and the New Jersey Department of Labor, will provide on-line learning for single mothers with school-aged children in four New Jersey counties. This project will test the feasibility of participants earning computer certification or an Associates degree through online courses compared with traditional educational settings and methods. The offered courses will be designed to prepare the participants for high skilled jobs in their local community."

"The Women's Bureau Financial Security Initiative is still in the developmental stage as we look for the best way to educate and disseminate information to working women. But we know that:

• 9 out of 10 women will be soley responsible for managing their own finances sometime during their lifetime.
• The average widow is 52 years of age, and
• Women save more conservatively and wait longer to save for themselves."

  "So you can see why this is an important topic to address. Just like you, I feel it is important to inspire women to do better."

  "In closing, it is evident that the work of the Women's Bureau and Women Work follow these same principles. I look forward to continuing working with you."

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