Drake Institute of Women’s Policy

Yesterday, the Drake Institute of Women's Policy launched our small business initiative with the support of the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Maryland Department of Labor.

We provided targeted training to women-owned small businesses representing a range of industries and the participants loved it.

Last year, women-owned small businesses in Maryland lost out on $3.6 BILLION dollars' worth of Federal contracts to businesses from other states that performed work in the state of Maryland.

Women business owners in Maryland are ready to win Federal contracts next year, which translates to economic growth, putting more Marylanders to work, and diversifying the local workforce!

Looking forward to bringing this program to the rest of Maryland, starting with Western Maryland.

🚨 Washington, D.C. | March 17, 2023

Founder and CEO, Destiny Drake West, met with U.S. Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) to discuss several Congressional bills that are being monitored by the Drake Institute of Women’s Policy that responds to Drake’s three focus areas—safety, inclusion, and justice.

A new women’s policy initiative to be led by the Drake Institute is underway.

More details to come.

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Happy International Women’s Day!

Let us not forget that women can fully participate in society only when our laws promote safety, equity, and justice for all people.

There’s more work to be done.

Women and Girls Deserve Better.

It's Election Day! If you know of anyone who still needs to cast their vote today, please offer to assist where needed (transportation, child care, shift swaps, etc). Also, please wear a mask & keep your distance at the polls. Safety first!

Our first policy briefing was a major success. Thank you again to the YEO Network for partnering with us on this and helping to make this an incredible experience for us all. We can’t wait to continue the conversation about voter safety, redistricting, maternal health, diversity in STEM, and police culture on February 20th and 21st at the Drake Women’s Policy Symposium. Mark your calendars!

Despite making up half of all college graduates in the US, women comprise less than a third of the STEM workforce. Many women forgo a STEM education because of a confidence gap—not a lack of ability—due to rooted educational norms and disparities. Read more about this issue here:

Drake Institute | Research & Policy Women Can Trust. Research & Policy Women Can Trust.

In light of a push for police reform, research shows more female officers reduce police misconduct. However, female officers face sexist attitudes about female competency, sexual misconduct by male officers, and a lack of support and opportunity. Read more about this issue here:

Drake Institute | Research & Policy Women Can Trust. Research & Policy Women Can Trust.

S*x trafficking, the “modern day form of slavery”, affects an estimated 800,000 across the globe. Girls as young as 12 face isolation, sexual and mental abuse, food/sleep deprivation, and personal and family threats to remain compliant. Read more about this issue here:

Drake Institute | Research & Policy Women Can Trust. Research & Policy Women Can Trust.

Women with co-occurring disorders are at risk for homelessness, incarceration, unemployment, and victimization. Common barriers to care for individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders include the inability to afford the cost of treatment, improper diagnosis of a co-occurring disorder, and fragmentation or lack of integration of mental health and substance use treatment services. Read more here:

Drake Institute | Research & Policy Women Can Trust. Research & Policy Women Can Trust.

Despite higher interest in voting, women, who comprise the majority of essential workers and take on more burden of care at home, will find it more difficult to get to the polls. Black and Latinx women, whose childcare duties have increased by 37% since COVID-19, are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 shutdown, and likely face even more barriers to in-person voting. Read more about this issue here:

Drake Institute | Research & Policy Women Can Trust. Research & Policy Women Can Trust.

Redistricting is an important component of elections for women of color because their votes determine how many representatives each state receives when state lines are drawn. However, gerrymandering is a political tactic candidates use to “cherry pick” their voters to have a better advantage during elections. Read more about this issue here:

Drake Institute | Research & Policy Women Can Trust. Research & Policy Women Can Trust.