P♀WER: People Organizing for Women's Economic Rights

Economic justice involves people in many inter-connected categories. Those who struggle for economic opportunities don't just wear the label of "low-income." They form part of many different communities all at the same time. Organized workers can also be immigrants. Muslims are often also African Americans. And laborers might also be students. At the center of many of those intersections are women. Besides the discrimination they might face simply as immigrants or low income residents, they also face a misogyny that is built into our entire legal, economic and social system.

To mitigate some of that damage, and to advocate for policies that treat women more as the equal, contributing members of society that they are, CLUE formed People Organizing for Women's Economic Rights (P♀WER) a coalition of women clergy, community leaders and workers committed to advocating for laws and policies focused on a fair and equitable status for women.

Among its early efforts, P♀WER played a role in the campaign to convince the Los Angeles City Council to pass an ordinance legalizing street vending. P♀WER showed that street vending is frequently the work of women, many of them single parents and heads of households. This framing helped garner the support that put the ordinance across the finish line.

There are many more issues to address in women's economic equity, and P♀WER plans to be there to lift up the voices of women across the many intersections of economic struggle. Join us!