United States Women's Bureau
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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1920 |
| Jurisdiction | Federal government of the United States |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
| Employees | 100 |
| Agency executive |
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| Website | dol.gov/wb |
The United States Women's Bureau (WB) is an agency of the United States government within the United States Department of Labor. The Women's Bureau works to create parity for women in the labor force by conducting cutting- edge research and policy analysis, to inform and promote policy change, and to increase public awareness and education.
The Director is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. He or she is supported by a staff in the national office as well as ten regional offices.
The predecessor of the Women's Bureau was the Woman in Industry Service established on July 1, 1918 as a war-time service to employ women. This was the first time the government surveyed women’s employment.
Women's Bureau was established by Congress on June 5, 1920, just two months before women achieved the right to vote, and continues its responsibility to carry out Public Law 66-259; 29 U.S.C. 11-16.29 (1920) Their enabling legislation gives them the duty to formulate policies and standards to promote the welfare of wage-earning women, improve their working conditions, increase their efficiency, and advance their opportunities for profitable employment. It wasn’t until the WB collaborated with the National Consumers League and the Women’s Educational and Industrial Union that the Bureau began to effectively research and advocate for women workers.
In the 1920s and 30s, the WB focused on women’s working conditions in industries including manufacturing, household employment and clothing industry. 21% of American’s employed at this time were women, who worked long hours with little wages. In 1922, the WB began investigating the conditions facing 'negro women in industry.' By focusing on minority groups, Mary Anderson, the Bureau’s first director, was able to get social justice legislation passed for women since the administration largely ignored these groups. The WB successfully advocated for the inclusion of women under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which, for the first time, set minimum wages and maximum working hours.
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