About AAUW National

American Association of University Women (AAUW) is a nationwide network of nearly 1,000 branches, and more than 800 college/university partner member schools.  AAUW is the nation’s leading voice promoting equity and education for women and girls. Since the founding in 1881, AAUW members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day — educational, social, economic, and political.

Mission

Values

Gender Equity & Economic Security

We’ve led the fight for fair pay and economic opportunity for women — and the battle continues: Women still get just 82 cents for every dollar paid to a man, and men continue to dominate the top roles and highest-paying professions.

Intersectional. Inclusive. Intergenerational. Empowering.

Though we are nonpartisan, we are not values-neutral: We fight to remove the barriers and biases that stand in the way of gender equity. We train women to negotiate for pay and benefits and to pursue leadership roles. And we advocate for federal, state and local laws and policies to ensure equity and end discrimination.

Our Focus

Economic Security

We’ve been working to narrow the gender pay gap, which greets women as soon as they enter the workforce and widens throughout their working lives. Unequal wages stand in the way of a woman’s ability to pay off student debt, build wealth and save for a secure retirement.

Education

We champion equal opportunities in education. Though more than 60% of college graduates are women, they face barriers and biases throughout their schooling. From pre-school to graduate school, girls and women are unconsciously steered into certain fields of studies and away more lucrative ones, such as in STEM.

Advocacy

Our members, supporters and staff work on local, state and federal levels to support laws and policies that enable women’s success. Our work in statehouses and the U.S. Capitol has helped pass hundreds of pieces of legislation. Our Legal Advocacy team has supported plaintiffs in more than 125 gender equity legal cases.

A Few 2020 Accomplishments of the AAUW Organization:

  • $4 million awarded to 250 scholars in fellowships and grants in 2020 to advance educational and professional opportunities for women around the globe.
  • 180,000 women trained in salary-negotiation skills in through our Work Smart and Start Smart programs.
  • 3 major research reports completed or updated in 2020, contributing to the national conversation on the gender pay gap, women and college debt and the long-term effects of sexual harassment.
  • 142 colleges and universities — including 29 minority-serving institutions and HBCUs — offer AAUW’s Start Smart trainings.

AAUW’s Value Promise

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

In principle and in practice, AAUW values and seeks an inclusive membership, workforce, leadership team, and board of directors. There shall be no barriers to full participation in this organization on the basis of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, geographical location, national origin, race, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status.

AAUW’s main website at: www.AAUW.org