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Federal Employed Women (FEW) Widening Opportunities for Women (W.O.W.) Chapter #448 |
About W.O.W. Chapter
On June 24, 2008, a group of 27 HUD employees held the first organization meeting. At this meeting, Interim Officers and a Parliamentarian were elected to carry out the business necessary to be chartered. Over the next several weeks, the group met and worked with FEW national leaderships to prepare the charter package, including crafting bylaws that would be sent to the 2008 National Training Program (NTP) in Anaheim, California for consideration for charter. Widening Opportunities for Women received its charter at the NTP on July 18, 2008.
In August of 2008, the chapter held its first formal elections to elect officers to serve the full two-year term. After the President was elected, committee chairs were appointed, and committees formed to begin to conceptualize and operationalize events and trainings.
Vision
Widening Opportunities for Women (W.O.W.) is a chapter of Federally Employed Women (FEW) and as such is a private, non-profit organization charted in July 2008. W.O.W. works as an extension of FEW national toward the advancement of women in federal service by:
- encouraging diversity and equity in the workplace
- enhancing career opportunities
- establishing and maintaining relationships with organizations to advocate the fair application of laws, policies, procedures, and practices
- improving the quality of life for women by influencing legislative actions
- committing to maintain a unified and diverse membership and providing opportunities for professional growth.
The W.O.W. chapter embraces the FEW missions and purpose statement by recognizing that the mission of an organization is its driving force. Therefore, W.O.W.'s mission is consistent with the needs of women federal service. In addition, W.O.W.'s mission embraces collaboration with men who partner with the chapter while working progressively toward good will for all federal sector employees. To that end, W.O.W. will assist HUD leadership develop and maintain a vital and effective workforce by providing employees with opportunities to appreciate and celebrate people from all races, creeds, colors, gender, sexual orientation, and physical and mental abilities through engaging in activities that are designed to result in the development of a work environment that is conducive to the employee's best performance in accordance with the Agency's values and goals. The mission of the W.O.W. chapter will be accomplished by encouraging diversity and equality in the workplace, enhancing career opportunities establishing and maintaining relationships with organizations to advocate the fair application of laws, policies, procedures and practices, improving the quality of life for women by influencing legislative actions, committing to maintain a unified and diverse membership and providing opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Benefits
Federally Employed Women (FEW) is a private, non-profit organization founded in 1968 after the issuance of Executive Order 11375 that added "sex" to the prohibited discriminations within the federal government. FEW works to end sex discrimination and towards the advancement of women in federal service by:
- encouraging diversity and equality in the workplace
- enhancing career opportunities
- establishing and maintaining relationships with organizations to advocate the fair application of laws, policies, procedures, and practices
- improving the quality of life for women by influencing legislative actions
- committing to maintain a unified and diverse membership and
- providing opportunities for professional growth.
The FEW missions and purpose statement was revised to recognize that the mission of an organization is its driving force, and that FEW's mission needed to be consistent with the needs of federal women in the 21st century.
Membership
The Widening Opportunities for Women chapter is committed to carrying out FEW's the mission. W.O.W. has approximately 50 members comprised of a diverse group that crosses gender, race, ethnicity, grade and work function lines. While W.O.W. currently holds its meetings in the southwest quadrant of Washington, DC, the chapter will gladly welcome members from any geographic location who wishes to join in the work of growing what it anticipates being a valuable chapter in the FEW family.
The Widening Opportunities for Women Chapter (W.O.W.) meets every third Wednesday of each month from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM. To join our chapter, please visit the Federally Employed Women’s website at: www.few.org
Events
Women’s History Month Program – March 27, 2024, from 12:30PM – 1:30PM, in the Brook Mondale Auditorium. 2024 Theme is: Women Who Advocated for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The FEW National Training Program was held July 10-13, 2023, in Columbus, OH. HUD’s W.O.W. Chapter received a 1st Place National award for "Best Agency Programs" and a certificate for hosting an agency forum at the NTP. The agency forum was a fireside chat that largely focused on the benefits of participation in employee resource and affinity groups to both the employees and agencies they work.
2024 National Training Program – August 4th – 8th, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois.
The Women’s Equality Day observance event: TBD
President
Sandra Wright, Chapter President
VACANT, Vice President
Toyinka Taylor, Interim, Chapter Secretary
VACANT, Treasurer
Links