Innovative Program Empowers Social Activists to Address Gender Equity
Every year, the Twink Frey Visiting Social Activist (TFVSA) Program at CEW+ provides a unique opportunity for social justice advocates to work on projects that focus on women’s issues and gender equity, offering them the time and resources often unavailable in their daily roles.
The program is designed to enhance the effectiveness of these activists by providing them with the necessary support and environment to concentrate on initiatives they are passionate about. This year, the program proudly welcomes Cortney Sanders as the latest visiting social activist.
Sanders, a graduate of the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy with a master’s degree in public policy, currently holds the position of institute director at the National Jobs for All Network, part of The New School in New York’s Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy. Her previous roles include significant positions at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, focusing on state fiscal policy, and the U.S. Social Security Administration, where she led research on labor market challenges and retirement outcomes.
This year, Sanders will work on her project titled “The Future She Deserves: Collectively Confronting Labor Market Discrimination to Improve Women’s Retirement Security & Longevity.” Reflecting on her past work, Sanders noted, “Our research started to shine a light on the real barriers to retirement. That work affirmed what I had long believed: Women’s economic security is foundational to justice.”
MORE INFORMATION
- Sanders will share insights from her TFVSA project at an event at the Ford School on April 7.
- Apply to be the 2027 TFVSA
Sanders emphasizes the urgency of addressing retirement inequality for women, stating, “This is an urgent issue: No one should have to work until they die, yet that is the reality for many women. My work aims to shift this paradigm by fostering an honest national dialogue about the labor market’s role in retirement inequality, society’s role and responsibility in addressing longevity, and the policy actions needed at state and local levels.”
The selection of TFVSAs is overseen by a national committee, which includes:
- Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center.
- Anne Magro, deputy dean and senior associate dean for Strategy Impact at George Mason University’s School of Business.
- Portia Polk, director of learning and advocacy at Generation Hope.
- Julie Ridenour, retired president of Steelcase Foundation.
- Laurita Thomas, president, American Research Universities Human Resources Institute.
- Mary Caroline “Twink” Frey, philanthropist.
The application process for next year’s TFVSA has begun. For further details, contact CEW-TFVSA@umich.edu or visit the CEW+ website.
