Celebrating the theme “ALL IN,” economic advocacy organization Women Employed hosted its annual fundraising luncheon, The Working Lunch, on May 23, drawing an estimated 650 activists, community partners, and leaders in philanthropy, business, media and politics.
“The Working Lunch is an opportunity to showcase the work we are doing collectively to support working women across Illinois,” Women Employed President and CEO Cherita Ellens said in a release. “Our theme of ’ALL IN’ reinforces the fact that we are successful because we work together, ensuring women of all backgrounds are afforded the same opportunities to grow and thrive personally and professionally.”
Ellens led a panel discussion about collaborating across issues and sectors to build working women ‘s economic power. Panelists included: Rev. C.J. Hawking, executive director at faith-based nonprofit Arise Chicago, Dr. Cristina Pacione-Zayas, chief of staff to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Audra Wilson, president and CEO of the Shriver Center on Poverty Law.
Women Employed also celebrated the organization’s 2024 honorees, “people and organizations who have used their power to open doors, crash ceilings, and create fundamental and systemic change.” The honorees are: Arise Chicago and BMO — named as Champions — as well as Amber N. Anderson, executive director and founder of the Black is Gold Organization, a mentoring nonprofit for high school and college women and girls.
“Receiving the Emerging Power Builder Award from Women Employed is an incredible honor that resonates deeply with me,” Anderson said in a release. “This award not only recognizes my journey as a leader but also highlights our shared mission to empower and uplift women. It symbolizes our collective commitment to breaking down barriers and ensuring that women have the resources and support they need to achieve their dreams.”
Women Employed, founded more than 50 years ago, has a mission to “increase the economic status of women and remove barriers to economic equity, and we do that by effecting policy change, expanding access to educational opportunities, and advocating for fair and inclusive workplaces so that all
women, families, and communities can thrive.”
Rebellious Magazine for Women was proud to serve as a media sponsor for this year’s The Working Lunch. Visit the event’s website for more information.