The American Association of University Women (AAUW) empowers women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. Our nonpartisan, nonprofit organization has more than 170,000 members and supporters across the United States, as well as 1,000 local branches and 700 college and university partners. Since AAUW’s founding in 1881, our members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day — educational, social, economic, and political.

AAUW’s Mission
AAUW advances gender equity for women and girls through research, education  and advocacy.

AAUW’s Value Promise
By joining AAUW, you belong to a community that breaks through educational and economic barriers so that all women and girls have a fair chance.

NEWS FLASH!! Several 2023 “STEM Roadshow” events (previously “EYH”) are being planned for area girls! The first event, for 5th-and 6th-grade girls in the Silver City area, will be held Saturday, November 11 on the campus of Western New Mexico University. To register, click on “STEM ROADSHOW 2023!” on the menu bar above, then select “1. REGISTER HERE” from the drop-down menu. Several hands-on workshops will be available, presented by women in STEM fields. Also, we are planning several additional “STEM Roadshows” to take these workshops to outlying areas (Deming, Columbus, Reserve, and surrounding areas); stay tuned for more information on those events!

The Pay Gap
Over half a century after pay discrimination became illegal in the United States, a persistent pay gap between men and women continues to hurt our nation’s workers and our national economy. Women working full time in the U.S. are paid 82 cents to every dollar earned by men — but it doesn’t stop there. The consequences of this gap affect women throughout their lives. Though women now outpace men in higher education, women also hold nearly two-thirds of the outstanding student debt in the United States. And because of the gender pay gap, women have a harder time repaying loans. The pay gap even follows women into retirement: as a result of lower lifetime earnings, they receive less in Social Security and pensions. In terms of overall retirement income, women have only 70% of what men do. To help bridge the gap, AAUW offers free on-line training in negotiating salaries and benefits (“WORK SMART”).

In the on-line WORK SMART program, open to the public, you will learn how to research your target salary, highlight your accomplishments and find the right words — and the confidence — to negotiate for better benefits and pay. The course takes less than two hours to complete and can be done at your own pace. Learn negotiation techniques for a better salary!

WORK SMART (includes link to free on-line course): https://www.aauw.org/resources/programs/salary/work-smart/

Read more about the pay gap: https://www.aauw.org/resources/research/simple-truth/

Read more about economic security: https://www.aauw.org/act/policy-center/#econ

Be an Activist in only Two Minutes!
AAUW provides all the tools you need to call or send messages to your members of Congress, contact your state legislators about pressing issues, and more. See our “Take Action!” page on this website, and find out more about the Two-Minute Activist: https://www.aauw.org/act/two-minute-activist/

The Legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
AAUW joins the country in mourning the passing of Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and paying tribute to her life and her legacy. In her 27 years on the bench, Justice Ginsburg ruled on some of the most important U.S. Supreme Court cases in our nation’s history. Her decisions and dissents reflected her deep commitment to gender equity and civil rights. Read more on the AAUW website about how she weighed in on landmark cases that involved AAUW’s priority policy issues: https://www.aauw.org/resources/news/the-lasting-legacy-of-justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg/