WISER’s 2017 Year in Review

L to R: Estella Luluquisen Hunt, Rhonda V. Sharpe, Cruz Bueno, Jeffrey Burnette, Nina Banks, Janelle Jones, Sacha Blalock and Elaine Woo.

WISER Dialogue:

Defining a Policy Agenda for Women of Color
On November 17, 2017, the Women’s Institute for Science, Equity and Race hosted “WISER Dialogue: Defining a Policy Agenda for Women of Color.”  This title reflects WISER’s mission to encourage the creation of more inclusive public policy.  The convening brought together eight experts that focus on entrepreneurship; tech eco-systems; racial, ethnic and gender inequality; and discrimination law.  The convening began with a discussion about the economic well-being of women of color. There were three key takeaways from this conversation.
  1. The wealth status of women of color is precarious.
  2. More women of color need to be encouraged to be entrepreneurs.
  3. Financial literacy should be added to entrepreneurship curriculums.
There were several recommendations for increasing the social well-being of women of color.

  1. The assaults on women of color bodies, integrity, and character must cease.
  2. Women of color must control their narratives.
  3. Women of color need to belong to communities that are valued and sovereign.
  4. The evaluation of policy should utilize gender-race-ethnicity mainstreaming.

Finally, the discussion about the cultural and political well-being yielded two key points and a question.

  1. It is important to dispell the belief that using one’s culture for financial gain is exploitation.
  2. It is difficult to separate culture and politics.
  3. What is the political experience of women of color, i.e., path and barriers?

What’s Ahead for 2018
Research 
Our research agenda will focus on women of color entrepreneurs and the incarceration of women.New Initiatives

  • “WISER Dialogue”: a YouTube channel to address policy and research issues and present counter-narratives about the experiences of Asian, Black, Hispanic, Mult-Racial, and Native American women.
  • InfoWISE: infographics examining the social-economic status of and policy issues impacting women of color.
  • WISE-OP: a blog addressing current events, research, and public policy
Conference Attendance 
WISER has been selected to attend Tech2Empower, an initiative to increase the technology skills of women’s civil rights organizations.

President’s Message

As the year comes to an end, the Women’s Institute for Science, Equity and Race asks for your support.  On this #GivingTuesday, please consider making a donation to support our mission for WISER and more inclusive public policy. 

Happy Holidays,
Rhonda V. Sharpe
President