Schaumburg area branch of AAUW fighting for gender equity since 1974

The Schaumburg area branch of AAUW has been a fixture in Schaumburg since 1974. AAUW is a community of more than 170,000 people standing strong for gender equity by giving voice to critical issues affecting women and girls.

AAUW is nonpartisan, fighting to remove barriers and biases that stand in the way of gender equity. Efforts include educating women through virtual trainings to effectively negotiate for pay and benefits, championing for equal opportunities in education and advocating for laws and policies to ensure equity and end discrimination.

The local Schaumburg area branch exemplifies these national efforts in its local activities and projects. For several years now, branch members have met at the Schaumburg train station to pass out Payday candy bars to train riders on National Pay Equity Day. Women still get just 82 cents for every dollar paid to a man. March 31, 2020, the most recent pay equity day in Illinois, symbolizes how far into the year white women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year. The data is even more sobering for women of color who must work until Aug. 7, for Black women and Oct. 29, for Latino women. Due to the pandemic, the branch did not distribute the Payday bars in 2020, but this important message will go out on such dates when it is safe to do so.

General meetings held at the Schaumburg Library in 2019 included presentations by a congressional aide, author/entrepreneur Jodi Bondi Norgaard (creator of Go! Go! Sports Girls dolls and books), and a Zoomy Salad Supper that was accompanied by a travel presentation once face-to-face meetings ceased. Programming for 2020-21 is in the works.

Branch activities include "fun" fundraisers to support the over $115 million in fellowships and grants that AAUW awards to more than 13,000 scholars and organizations across the country and internationally. In addition, each year the Schaumburg branch supports a woman who is attending Harper College with a $500 scholarship. Schaumburg AAUW's annual bunco evening draws 50 to 60 participants who play for fun and prizes to support these scholarship efforts.

Branch interest groups include active book discussion and dinner groups.

In 2019, AAUW launched its Five-Star National Recognition Program to reward branches for aligning their work with the AAUW mission of advancing gender equity for women and girls. Just last month, the Schaumburg area branch was notified that it is one of 14 branches of the 1,000 nationwide that has achieved Five-Star status.

You can join other college educated women and men to help advance gender equity for women and girls by becoming a member of the Schaumburg area branch of AAUW.

For information, visit https://schaumburg-il.aauw.net or email membership questions to aauwschaumburgarea@gmail.com.