Policy Update: September/October
This year’s midterm elections will influence the progress and protections women and girls have made over the last decades. This month, we look at the latest from AAUW in light of the upcoming elections, and current events.
Early voting is available in New Jersey from 10am to 8pm Monday-Saturday and 10am to 6pm on Sundays beginning 10/24. Drop boxes are available across towns. Learn more about how and where to vote in your neighborhood. Election Day is November 3.
BONUS: Check out our summary and key takeaways from the October 8 event hosted by SCC at the Summit Free Public Library: Women, Elections & Action: Making a difference at the ballot box & beyond. The blog, "5 Things to Know Before Heading to the Ballot Box" includes key moments from the event as well as the full event recording. Stay tuned for future events.
Fall Policy Updates
September 28, 2026 | WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Association of University Women (AAUW) condemns the U.S. Department of Education’s decision today to formally rescind the 2024 Title IX regulations and restore the 2020 rules. AAUW warned that those rules would make it harder for survivors to seek help and to hold schools accountable. Today’s action locks them in place.
The first months of the fall semester are known as the “Red Zone,” when students, especially those new to campus, face a heightened risk of sexual assault. This is the period when schools should be assuring students that they can come forward. Instead, the Department is cementing rules that limit when schools must respond to harassment and require college students who file a formal complaint to face a live hearing with cross-examination.
“Students need more than a promise that their school takes sexual violence seriously. They need timely support. Can they return to class, remain on campus, and pursue the future they came to build? Rules that make seeking help harder put all of that at risk.” — Gloria L. Blackwell, AAUW’s Chief Executive Officer
The stakes for students’ education are real. In a 2024 survey of students at 10 universities, 68% of women who experienced rape reported academic or professional consequences. Fewer than half of undergraduate women said officials were very or extremely likely to act on a report of sexual misconduct.
Today’s action also formally ends the 2024 rule’s explicit protections for LGBTQ+ students and its stronger protections for pregnant students. The administration calls this protecting women and girls, but the record says otherwise. The Government Accountability Office found that the Department’s Office for Civil Rights dismissed about 90% of the discrimination complaints it resolved from March to September 2025. In May, bipartisan members of Congress noted that the office has posted no resolved sexual harassment or sexual violence cases since January 2025. Protecting women and girls requires investigating their complaints.
AAUW calls on colleges and universities to make support readily accessible, respond promptly to reports, and address the conditions that allow harassment and assault to persist. AAUW further calls on policymakers to hold schools accountable and strengthen federal civil rights enforcement.
“Title IX’s promise is that no student should lose an education because of sex discrimination. That promise has to hold when a student asks for help.” — Gloria L. Blackwell
AAUW’s Free Salary Negotiation Webinars Now Available
September 16, 2026 | WASHINGTON, D.C. – New Census Bureau data released recently show the gender pay gap narrowed in 2025. Women working full-time, year-round earned 84 cents for every dollar men earned, up from 81 cents in 2024. Median annual earnings were $60,760 for women and $72,380 for men, a difference of $11,620. The gap didn’t close for everyone. Progress looks very different by race and ethnicity and by whether women work full-time, part-time, or seasonal jobs. Black women working full-time, year-round earned 64 cents for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men, down from 65 cents last year. Latinas earned 60 cents, up from 58 cents. When all working women are considered, women earned 78 cents for every dollar earned by men, a difference of $13,760.
“Narrowing the pay gap is welcome news, but it is not a reason to declare victory. Black women actually lost ground this year, and women are still earning thousands of dollars less than men each year. That affects real decisions women make about education, childcare, buying a home, and saving for retirement.” — Gloria L. Blackwell
Closing the gender pay gap requires stronger policies and workplace practices that address the barriers holding women back. Women can’t negotiate their way out of a systemic pay gap. But they should have tools they can use right now to advocate for themselves and make informed decisions about their careers and finances.
You can let family and friends know that AAUW’s free Economic Empowerment Webinars are open for registration.
AAUW Weighs In
Coalition Letter on OCR Accountability for Title IX Enforcement (10/20/26) — AAUW joined a coalition calling on Congress to hold the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights accountable for failing to enforce civil rights laws and protect students from sexual violence on campus.
Amicus Brief Supporting Funding for Hispanic Serving Institutions (10/6/26) — AAUW joined an amicus brief in Tennessee and Students for Fair Admissions v. U.S. Department of Education, backing continued funding for Hispanic Serving Institutions.
Coalition Letter Opposing OCR Function Transfer (9/30/26) — AAUW urged congressional appropriators to block the illegal transfer of the Office for Civil Rights’ core functions through an interagency agreement.
Coalition Comment Opposing OPM Rule Rescinding Disparate Impact Guidance (9/29/26) — AAUW opposed an Office of Personnel Management rule that would remove guidance on preventing disparate impact in federal employee selection procedures.
Coalition Comment Opposing EEOC Rule on Workplace Discrimination Redress (9/28/26) — AAUW opposed a proposed EEOC rule that would make it harder for federal employees to seek redress for workplace discrimination.
Karen Weis has been active in AAUW for 26 years. She started with the Cape May County, NJ branch, where she held several board positions, including newsletter editor, historian, and chair of various committees. During this period, she was also a joint member of the Atlantic County branch. Karen was also part of the team that created Tech Trek at Stockton University, a program launched in 2015 by the Atlantic and Cape May County branches.
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