Reports & Toolkits

Poverty Among Women and Families, 2000-2008: Recession Deepens Poverty

September 15, 2009

Listening to Latinas: Barriers to High School Graduation

August 20, 2009

To help keep girls in school and on track for success, the National Women’s Law Center and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund went straight to the source: Latina students and the adults who work with them every day. Our report, Listening to Latinas: Barriers to High School Graduation, explores the causes of the dropout crisis for Latinas and identifies the actions needed to improve their graduation rates and get them ready for college. 

Take Action: Get Your Prescription Contraceptives Covered: A Practical Guide for Employees (Update)

August 15, 2009

This is a 2009 update to our Take Action Report..  For more up to date information please visit our Contraceptive Equity Guide found here.

Building New Possibilities: Promising Practices for Recruiting and Retaining Students in Career and Technical Education Programs That Are Nontraditional for Their Gender

July 15, 2009

The Record of Judge Sonia Sotomayor on Critical Legal Rights for Women

July 09, 2009

The National Women’s Law Center reviewed Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s legal record, with a focus on cases addressing issues of particular importance to women.

Executive Summary: Strengthening Social Security Benefits for Widow(er)s: The 75 Percent Combined Worker Benefit Alternative

June 09, 2009

President Obama's FY 2010 Budget: A New Direction for Women and Families

May 13, 2009

After years of presidential budgets that expanded tax breaks for the very wealthiest while cutting services for women and families and neglecting long-term needs, the outline of the budget for Fiscal Year 2010 released by President Obama on February 26, 2009, charts a very different course.

Appropriations Bill for FY09

March 31, 2009

In 2008, President Bush’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2009 (October 1, 2008 to September 30, 2009) proposed cuts in a wide range of services important to women and their families.  Congress refused to make those cuts, resulting in a stalemate.  The regular appropriations bills to fund domestic agencies were not enacted.  Instead, Congress passed and President Bush signed a temporary measure that funded these services through March 6, 2009, generally at FY 08 levels.  On March 6, Congress passed and President Obama signed a resolut

Family Tax Credits in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

March 09, 2009

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provides substantial new tax benefits for most working families. All of the provisions discussed in this report are at least partially refundable, so they will help low- and moderate-income workers with little or no federal income tax liability. This makes them more effective as economic recovery measures because lower-income people are more likely to spend additional income to purchase goods and services in their community. And, they will help keep millions of Americans out of poverty as the recession worsens.

How the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Addresses Women's Needs

February 13, 2009

The worsening recession has caused pain across the country, especially for the millions of women and families who already were struggling to make ends meet. The Obama Administration and House and Senate leaders developed a strong plan for economic recovery to preserve and create jobs, help people through tough times, protect vital public services, and invest in our nation's future. The Conference Agreement on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes a number of measures that are especially important for women and their families.