IPWR Organization Website Social Work Policy Opinion Discussion Offer your opinion to at least one other student about the utility of their chosen website

IPWR Organization Website Social Work Policy Opinion Discussion Offer your opinion to at least one other student about the utility of their chosen website for social work policy practice. Provide your feedback in 250-300 words. The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) website (https://iwpr.org/) caught my
eyes because it addresses many disparities between men and women in the United States.
Feminist theories have always intrigued me and I wanted to see how they are used in research.
This website features women-centered policy-oriented research and provides a database of topics
such as gender wage gaps, economic security, and discrimination in the workplace. The Institute
for Women’s Policy Research website “attempts to make a connection between policy and the
lives of women” (McKenzie & Wharf, 2016, p.203), at micro, mezzo, and macro levels.
This website relates to various social policy concepts discussed in class. Some of the
research addresses dominant ideology and its contribution to the inequality of the sexes. Because
“a central premise in feminism is the structural imperative flowing from patriarchy” (McKenzie
& Wharf, 2016, p. 73), the website focuses on using data to suggest what political, economic,
and social factors contribute to the inequality of the sexes. Dominant ideology influences the
way “patriarchy acts as [a] force in the adoption of policies affecting women” (McKenzie &
Wharf, 2016, p. 73). Addressing the inequality of the sexes requires more than ground level
work; it demands connecting policy with systematic practice to expand “a social justice
standpoint” (McKenzie & Wharf, 2016, p. 1).
Additionally, the website provides a list of research publications dated up to December 1,
1982. This suggests two things: for one, the unfortunate reality is that women have been
classified as a subordinate group for decades. Next, it emphasizes how long it takes to develop
policies. They require constant updating to adapt to the needs of different generations,
populations, and classes. Although the data is not constant, discrepancies between men and
women remain today. Social policy is imperative to the lives of women because it can can
involve the development and implementation of social programs that empower and validate
women. This includes social policies for education, social welfare, housing, and health care. The
website provides research that clearly indicates women are in need of policies that will
redistribe social services.
This website is beneficial to social work professionals because it provides publications,
tools, and data. The research connects public, private, personal, and political. These are all
spheres to keep in mind in practice. This website encourages social work practitioners to reflect
on which policies already in place empower women, and which need to navigated around.
Progressive policy-making creates further advocating for social justice. Additionally, it is
imperative for social work professionals to critically examine research and policies. One can
never assume all research is perfect and must be aware of both limitations and benefits. Although
this website presents a variety of research, none of it acknowledges trans women. It only studies
issues relevant to cis women in the United States. By adopting an anti-oppressive practice, social
work professionals would note the lack of research for non-cis and trans women in the United
States. Along with deeper self-reflection and research, this website may influence social work
professionals to consider which “core social justice principles [should] guide policy making”
(McKenzie & Wharf, 2016, p.266) for women.
This link (https://statusofwomendata.org/) provides a visual image of state-by-state data
on both women population groups (i.e older women, women of color, immigrant women) and
topics (i.e violence and safety, reproductive rights, and poverty and opportunity) in the United
States, to raise awareness, improve policies, and promote equality of the sexes. You can roll your
mouse over each state to see how they rank in each criteria. You are given a clear visual
demonstration of which states are the best, or worst, for women living in the United States.
The relevancy of this website for social work policy practice is exhibited through the
lived experiences and social locations of women. By analyzing existing public policies, social
workers can consider how their own professional practice “[affects] individual women in
different circumstances” (McKenzie & Wharf, 2016, p.203). Although this website exclusively
considers the United States, there are global inequalities affecting both cis and trans women.
Despite its focus, the website does directly mention women’s issues that can be studied
internationally. This website provides easy access to many databases, tools, and research
methods that can be applied in social work policy practice. It has the potential to influence social
workers to reflect on the equitable policies in their practice and their position in advocating for
equal human rights.
References
McKenzie, B., & Wharf, B. (2016). Connecting policy to practice in the human services (4th
ed.). Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press.
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