Bush administration: Department of Labor's Women's Bureau

The U.S. Department of Labor's Women's Bureau mission is to "promote profitable employment opportunities for women, to empower them by enhancing their skills and improving their working conditions, and to provide employers with more alternatives to meet their labor needs." The Bureau's "Vision Statement" says that it "will empower women to enhance their potential for securing more satisfying employment as they seek to balance their work-life needs."

However, according to Rebecca Traister in her April 28, 2004, Salon article "Making women's issues go away," the "damning new report" Missing: Information About Women's Lives released April 21st by the National Council for Research on Women "reveals that the Bush administration has quietly removed 25 reports from its Women's Bureau Web site, deleting or distorting crucial information on issues from pay equity to reproductive healthcare." 

Since 1999, Traister writes, the Bureau's web site has listed "more than 25 fact sheets and statistical reports on topics ranging from 'Earning Differences Between Men and Women' to 'Facts About Asian American and Pacific Islander Women' to 'Women's Earnings as Percent of Men's 1979-1997.'" Traister says that, now, "Those fact sheets no longer exist ... and have instead been replaced with a handful of peppier titles, like 'Hot Jobs for the 21st Century' (May 2003) and '20 Leading Occupations for Women.'"

In fact, "Publications" provided on the web site only include three fact sheets and three reports, two of which come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The home page and publications list includes links to:
 * "Strengthening the Family in the 21st Century Initiatives": "Today's Department of Labor (DOL) represents the workforce of the 21st Century. The Women's Bureau (WB), through its Technology and Strengthening the Family Initiatives - e-News, worker shortage, financial security, workplace flexibility, and Corporate Mentoring promote an environment that is responsive to the demands and challenges of the 21st Century workforce. More than ever, it is vital to ensure opportunities for American women to achieve their potential in the workplace."
 * "Nontraditional Occupations for Women in 2003" (Statistics) and Text versions.
 * "20 Leading Occupations of Employed Women Full-time Wage and Salary Workers 2003 Annual Averages" (Statistics) and Text versions.
 * "Women Business Owners" (November 2002).
 * "Women in High Tech Jobs" (July 2002).

The web site provides links to twelve speeches delivered by the Bureau's Director Shinae Chun. Of the twelve, five were in conjunction with the Korean community and a sixth with the Pacific Asian community.

Press Releases.

The National Council for Research on Women's "Misinformation Clearinghouse" "24-page report that documents how crucial data on women and girls is disappearing," is available in pdf format or can be ordered in print format.

Contact
Women's Bureau U.S. Department of Labor 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room S-3311 Washington, DC 20210 (202) 693-6731 -

SourceWatch Resources

 * Bush/Republican Initiatives