Financial Empowerment for Women

Through the Financial Empowerment for Women initiative, United Way strives to improve the health, education, and financial stability of women throughout our four-county region. An overwhelming research base demonstrates that women face greater risk of financial insecurity throughout their lifetime.

When compared to their male counterparts, women:

• Tend to earn less, despite having higher levels of educational attainment.
• Are more likely to raise their children alone and to bear the burden of childcare costs.
• Are more likely to be caregivers to their aging parents, and put in more hours of caregiving.
• Miss more work due to caregiving responsibilities, which leads to a greater loss of income throughout their lives, resulting in smaller retirement savings and Social Security payments.
• Eighty-two percent of women in Milwaukee County make less than $65,000 a year, with 60% falling between the poverty line and meeting their family’s basic needs. In Waukesha County, 69% of women earn below $65,000 a year, with 57% falling in the gap between poverty and basic cost of living.

New and increased gifts to Financial Empowerment for Women are doubled by BMO from 7/1/23 to 6/30/24 up to $250,000.