The American Association of University Women (AAUW) advances gender equity for women and girls through research, education, and advocacy.

The Orinda-Moraga-Lafayette (OML) Branch meets monthly and sponsors community outreach projects, interest groups and educational opportunities.


OML has achieved all 5 stars in AAUW’s Five-Star National Recognition Program for aligning our work with AAUW’s Strategic Plan and our initiatives that advance gender equity for women and girls.


Click Here for an Overview Handout of our Branch  2022-2023


DISTINGUISHED WOMAN CELEBRATION AND LUNCHEON May 16, 2023

We celebrated our 2023 Distinguished Woman Denise Burian and our new officers for 2023-2024.  We also recognized AAUW FUND BRANCH NAMED GIFT HONOREE- Barbara Bell
Read the biography of Denise and enjoy some pictures of our luncheon gathering.

A CELEBRATION OF EXCELLENCE

HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS 2023

Students, family, and friends along with branch members attended our Celebration of Excellence honoring thirteen local middle school, high school, and Saint Mary’s college students.

Seven 7th grade middle school girls received scholarships to Tech Trek, a weeklong STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) immersion program held this coming July at Sonoma State University.  Tech Trek is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year!  The camp is designed to encourage rising 8th grade girls to persist with their excitement about STEM through high school, college, and into their careers. The program features numerous hands-on activities as well as a chance for the girls to make friends with other girls interested in STEM and to meet professional women in STEM fields.

The selection criteria for the high school and college scholarships are academic excellence, community service and leadership.  In addition to outstanding grades  these students demonstrated a desire to help others by volunteering in their schools, local volunteer agencies and global programs.

TECH TREK GIRLS 2023 WITH KEYNOTE SPEAKER MOLLY MUDGETT

The event which featured keynote speaker Molly Mudgett, a prototyping engineer at Apple. Molly attended Tech Trek in 2013 and continues to volunteer in the program. She graduated from Acalanes High School and received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering at Northwestern.  While sharing the experiences that led to her job at Apple, she highlighted the importance of young women working equitably and comfortably in the STEM field.


ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL STEM CONFERENCE

The seventh annual AAUW-OML STEM Conference was held March 25th, 2023, at Saint Mary’s College, where high school STEM Ambassadors welcomed 170 middle school girls (6th through 8th grade) from Lamorinda, Richmond, Walnut Creek, Castro Valley, and other East Bay communities.
Modeled after AAUW-California’s legendary Tech Trek Science & Math Camp (founded in 1998), AAUW-OML’s local STEM event is designed to give all young girls interested in learning about STEM the opportunity to participate in three out of fourteen interactive “hands-on” science workshops. They meet professional women in STEM careers, hear dynamic speakers, and network with like-minded students who love learning about science, technology, engineering, and math. Part of the experience is spending a day and attending workshop classes on a beautiful college campus.


AN ICE CREAM SOCIAL FOR TECH TREK 2023 PARTICIPANTS

After celebrating in April the Lamorinda seventh graders headed to Tech Trek STEM camp at Sonoma State University in July, the Tech Trek committee invited all the girls and their parents to meet again for a casual ice cream social in the Miramonte Gardens clubhouse in early May.
Seven girls from three different middle schools quickly gathered on big leather sofas in the middle of the room where they began to chat and build new friendships as part of our ever growing Tech Trek circle.
The social ended with the girls gathered in front of the fireplace for photos, as Trekkers past and present continue their TT journeys.  Since 1998, AAUW-OML has selected 129 local STEM girls to attend Tech Trek science camps, thanks to the generous, loyal support of branch members.


Fundraise for Scholarships. Here’s how…

Help our scholarship program by asking your family (grandkids), friends and neighbors to save their gently worn sneakers.  These sneakers can help AAUW raise funds for our local high school scholarships and Saint Mary’s College High Potential Program scholarships.

With your help, we can keep sneakers out of landfills, reduce toxic chemicals in our air and soil, and raise money to support our local scholarships.

We have sneaker drop off locations at the Lafayette Veterans Building, the Lafayette Community Center (by Pickleball courts) and Orinda Community Center (by tennis courts)  and Oakwood Health Club.

Let’s make a difference together!  Tell your friends, neighbors and family. 


Women’s Power Gap Research Report

This study: The Women’s Power Gap at Elite Universities: Scaling the Ivory Tower focuses on these same universities from our previous compensation report and who among them is leading and lagging with respect to diversity at the chief executive’s office and the immediate pathway to that office.  We hope that when universities are ranked against one another, it will create a race to the top, driving faster change.  CLICK HERE for details and to download the report.


OUR WONDERFUL ADVERTISERS NEED OUR HELP.

  PLEASE USE THIS LINK TO FIND A LOCAL BUSINESS THAT WE CAN SUPPORT.  OUR ADVERTISERS HELP COVER THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS OF OUR BRANCH.
WHEN YOU USE THEIR BUSINESS PLEASE MENTION THAT YOU BELONG TO AAUW-OML AND APPRECIATE THEIR SUPPORT.


BE AN ADVOCATE FOR PUBLIC POLICY

The BEST way to become involved with AAUW Public Policy is to sign up to be a two-minute activist.  Click this link:TWO MINUTE ACTIVIST This will allow you to sign up with your email and connect  with both state and national calls to action.  Make your voice heard!

Now we are thrilled to announce the NEXT STEP IN AAUW ADVOCACY: Two-Minute Activist mobile.

Complete this form to opt in to Two-Minute Activist mobile — or simply text the word “AAUW” to phone number 21333


Pandemic Inequity: Latinas and the COVID 19 Experience

This new report examines how Latinas in the U.S. suffered disproportionate economic repercussions due to the pandemic and calls for specific policy solutions to address their needs. Stories from 41 Latinas who were interviewed dramatically illustrate the challenges these women have faced as the pandemic has exacerbated existing economic inequalities.
CLICK HERE    https://www.aauw.org/app/uploads/2021/07/Report-Latinas_4.0.pdf


The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap

The gender pay gap is the gap between what men and women are paid. Most commonly, it refers to the median annual pay of all women who work full time and year-round, compared to the pay of a similar cohort of men. Other estimates of the gender pay gap are based on weekly or hourly earnings, or are specific to a particular group of women.

 

Download Summary of 2018 Research Report
Frequently Asked Questions About the Gender Pay Gap


Know Your Rights: Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault under Title IX

Image by Tony Cairns, Flickr Creative Commons

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a comprehensive federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in education. It covers women and men, girls and boys, and staff and students in any educational institution or program that receives federal funds. Local school districts, colleges and universities, for-profit schools, career and technical education agencies, libraries, and museums are all covered under Title IX.  Read more.

How Sexual Harassment Contributes to the Gender Pay Gap
New research from AAUW finds that workplace sexual harassment can take a toll on women’s physical and mental health and reduce their lifetime earnings. The report is based on an AAUW analysis of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) data, a review of academic studies on sexual harassment and an exclusive nationwide survey of AAUW members and their networks.

It shows that the experience of sexual harassment is not often one that women can quickly put behind them. Rather, its impact continues to reverberate throughout their lives, increasing their risk of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and other long-term health problems. And that’s not to mention the financial repercussions: In AAUW’s survey of 311 women, 38% of women who’d been harassed said it contributed to their decision to leave a job early, and 37% said it disrupted their career advancement.


AAUW Stands against Bias and Bigotry


AAUW has always stood up against discrimination since its inception. AAUW’s history speaks for itself on how it has raised its voice against intolerance and injustice.

Once again it’s time to unite together and support refugees and immigrants to preserve diversity which makes America so strong and powerful. Continue reading.


DEEPER IN DEBT: WOMEN AND STUDENT LOANS

Women take on more student debt than men … but are paid less after college

Between 1976 and 2014 the price of college attendance more than doubled, but household incomes barely budged. Today most students must bridge the gap between income and cost with student loans—followed by student debt. Women take on more loans and take longer to repay their debt, thus women hold almost two-thirds of the outstanding student loan debt in the United States.  To learn more read the research report from AAUW National.

 AAUW Report

Why do men still vastly outnumber women in leadership positions? AAUW’s newest research report, Deeper in Debt: Women and Student Loans. Women’s success in postsecondary education is shrinking the gender pay gap and opening up opportunities, but at what price? Women not only take on more student debt than men do, but women also pay back their loans more slowly because of the gender pay gap.