Mission Statement
Legal Momentum envisions a society in which all women and girls are economically secure, empowered to make their own choices, and can live and work free of discrimination and violence. In this society, all women enjoy the conditions, opportunities, and support that enable them to realize their human rights and freedoms.
Description
Legal Momentum is the nation's oldest legal defense and education fund dedicated to advancing the rights of all women and girls. Over the past 39 years, Legal Momentum has made historic contributions through litigation and public policy advocacy to secure economic and personal security for women. Our current programmatic work is focused on four strategic goals:
INCREASING PATHWAYS INTO QUALITY EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Legal Momentum works with career and technical education (CTE) high schools in New York City--schools that are highly segregated by gender--to improve recruitment and retention of girls, enhance participation of girls in tracks that lead to higher paying jobs, and increase administrator awareness of an compliance with federal legal requirements under Title IX, the Carl Perkins Act, and other federal statutes.
PROTECTING WORKPLACE RIGHTS OF VULNERABLE POPULATIONS Legal Momentum works to expand and enforce laws and policies enacted to protect women and ensure that they are able to obtain and succeed in non-traditional, high-paying jobs. We use our expertise in employment and pregnancy discrimination law to prevent and redress employment discrimination and harassment against women on a national scale. We work at every level of government to strengthen and promote systemic and policy-based responses to the challenges faced by women in this industry.
STRENGTHENING THE SAFETY NET Legal Momentum leads a national effort to secure reauthorization of the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) due in September 2010. We engage local community-based organizations throughout the country in crafting strategic reforms to ensure that the TANF program is reauthorized and is more responsive to the needs of women, who make up 90 percent of the TANF rolls.
EXPANDING RIGHTS, JUSTICE, AND SERVICES FOR VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE On the heels of our legacy achievement--leading the fight to pass the Violence Against Women Act--Legal Momentum trains legal professionals and advocates nationwide on the rights, protections, and services available to victims and survivors of violence. We have also litigated several cases helping to establish and enforce workplace rights for victims of violence. Our Immigrant Women Program has a national training and technical assistance program for local groups working with immigrant women and addresses as well the many connections between violence and immigration status, public benefits, family law, and employment.
Legal Momentum is headquartered in New York City with a government affairs office in Washington, D.C. It is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported by foundations, corporations, and individuals. It has a budget in excess of $5.5 million and 31 employees.
