35 Years of Research and Action
For 35 years the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW) has conducted
research and action projects that inform public policy and shape public
opinion. We examine crucial questions growing out of the lives of
women—questions that affect everyone. By presenting new knowledge and
offering solutions to some of today’s most pressing social policy
issues, our work generates changes in attitudes, practices, and
policies.
Legislators, educators, counselors, and program developers all rely
on our work to craft laws, initiate policy change, and implement
effective practices. Advocates use research findings and new
theoretical insights to challenge outmoded societal and legal norms.
Disciplined, relevant research and theory paired with innovative pilot
programs are key building blocks for social progress.
No other women’s research-and-action organization can match WCW’s
depth of experience, consistency of focus, and track record of positive
change. In short, we have the expertise essential to take on issues
critical to improving the lives of women and families, and the wider
society.
Our work is essential.
Our work makes a difference.
• Child care for school-age youth: WCW scholars
were the first in the nation to respond with research to the urgent
need for workable solutions. Our groundbreaking research, policy
development, and training programs set the standards for out-of school
time, profoundly improving the lives of parents and children.
• Quality early child care and education: Our
studies on the ability of public schools to prepare young children for
lifelong learning have shaped local, state, and federal policies.
• Gender equity in education: Our 1992 report, How
Schools Shortchange Girls, influenced federal legislation on programs
for girls in science and math, shaped public discourse on these and
related issues, and led to new community-based programs for girls
across the country.
• Peer sexual harassment and bullying in schools: Our research raised public consciousness about these serious problems, not only in the U.S. but around the globe.
• Women’s psychological development: The work of
WCW scholars led to Relational-Cultural Theory, affirming that all
people thrive in relationships and through connection, and shifting the
traditional paradigm that focuses on independence to one that
recognizes the importance of interdependence. This new understanding
has changed counseling and psychotherapy practices as well as public
understanding of factors contributing to psychological health.
• Home/work stresses on the family: We pioneered
research on work-family balance that examined stresses associated with
both women’s and men’s roles in the workplace and at home. Our
investigations resulted in a deeper understanding of—and appreciation
for—the similar home/work stresses on women and men, and helped
generate new workplace policies.
• Influencing boardroom culture: Our research
indicated that a “critical mass” of three or more women is needed on a
corporate board before the contributions, values, and perspectives of
female board members can effect positive change.
• Family violence in the U.S. military: Research on
domestic violence in military families led to new prevention and
intervention policies and programs in the U.S. Navy.
• Advancing women’s rights in Asia: WCW spearheaded
efforts to develop and train a network of Asian lawyers, legal
academics, and activists to pursue new lawmaking initiatives in the
region.
• Promoting the rights of women and children: A
collaboration with UNICEF brought together leading women’s and
children’s rights advocates from across Asia to pursue mutual goals at
a groundbreaking conference in Bangkok.
