Projects

Policy and Legislation Committee

Objectives:

  • Increase awareness in Montgomery County about legislative and policy issues that impact Montgomery County women
  • Work with legislative bodies on the federal, state and local level to introduce and pass bills and/or policies that enhance the lives of women in Montgomery County
  • Support the Maryland Legislative Agenda for Women (MLAW)
  • Organize Annual Women’s Legislative Briefing (WLB)

Immigrant Women in Montgomery County (IWin)

U.S. Census 2000 indicates that Montgomery County has by far the largest population and percent of foreign born residents of any jurisdiction in Maryland. The Maryland Department of Planning reports that Montgomery County’s foreign born population approaches 233,000 residents—almost 27% of the county’s total population. Immigrant women often face serious challenges in the workplace, the schools, and in dealing with health and social services. Lack of knowledge and language barriers may make these women more vulnerable to abuse, harassment, discrimination and worse. To address some of these issues, the IWin Committee will:

Objectives:

  • Increase economic empowerment, viability and stability of immigrant women employed in low-wage jobs.
  • Improve financial literacy for immigrant women in low-wage jobs.
  • Decrease exploitation and discrimination of low-income immigrant women.
  • Raise public awareness of the special challenges confronting low-income immigrant women.

Mothers and Poverty (MAP)

Families headed by a single mother with young children face a much greater risk of poverty than other families, nationwide and here in Montgomery County. The Mothers and Poverty Committee published the report of its research in 2009, and worked to:

Objectives:

  • Raise public awareness about the disproportionate number of single mothers living in poverty.
  • Increase economic security for single mothers in the county.
  • Identify needed services for single mothers and advocate for those services.
  • Increase focus on the prevention of poverty.

CFW Education and Outreach Activities

Objectives:

  • Maintain and improve communication and cooperation among local women’s advocacy organizations
  • Provide information to public on issues of concern to women of the county
  • Provide seminars on the legal process of separation and divorce in two languages
  • Support girls’ involvement in information technology, science, math, and engineering

Montgomery County Women’s History Archives

http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/cfw/womenhistory/archives.html

Recognizes Montgomery County women whose accomplishments are of historical significance. Currently the Archives includes the biographies of 45 women.