Standing TALL with Federally Employed Women, and the Federally Employed Women Legal Education Fund

Whistleblower Summit & Film Festival stands in full conjunction with our longtime affiliate Federally Employed Women (FEW), and acknowledges the Federally Employed Women Legal Education Fund (FEW-LEF). 

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FEW

Founded in 1968, FEW is a private, nonprofit organization that was born after the government issued Executive Order 11375, which prohibited discrimination in federal employment on the basis of sex. Despite EO 11375’s historical significance, concerns were raised by several women that the Civil Service Commission, along with a few other individual agencies, may not provide enough effort to ensure compliance towards this Executive Order. In addition, some of FEW’s pioneering members were concerned that the government might dismantle FEW as an organization. These members were determined to maintain an organization designed to always promote equality for women, as well as address concerns for women in the federal workplace. FEW is a private organization which is free from certain government restrictions, unlike the previously established Federal Women’s Program (PWP), which is a government function and therefore limited in its political range, i.e. their inability to lobby congress.

As a private organization, FEW works as an advocacy group to enhance the status of female federal employees. Among their advocacy efforts include contacting Congress to encourage progressive legislation. FEW national officers also work with management officials within all agencies to provide support and demonstrate federal efficiency for FWP at all levels, from agency to local.

For more about FEW, please visit their website at https://www.few.org/.

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FEW-LEW

Founded by its sister organization FEW, FEW-LEF financially supports federal workers (as EEO claimants), and represents federal workers before federal agencies file amicus briefs. FEW-LEF differentiates itself from FEW as a separate legal organization, akin to that of the NAACP and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. The FEW-LEF is capable of performing these activities for federal workers unlike FEW, which is not a labor organization and does not represent employees.

It should be noted that that FEW had terminated its relationship and activities with FEW-LEF since December 1, 2008. FEW’s leadership deemed that the termination between the two organizations was in the best interests of FEW and its membership. Plus, FEW-LEF was the non-profit sponsor for our previous entity incarnation, Whistleblower Summit For Civil and Human Rights, from 2011 to 2018. However, once we shifted our event focus to impacting broader public awareness and pop culture, our organization transitioned into Whistleblower Summit & Film Festival, and replaced FEW-LEF with Fractured Atlas as our fiscal sponsor.

FEW-LEF’s membership is open to all those who support the organization’s purpose and carry out its mission. Participation for FEW-LEF is not restricted to women. FEW-LEF welcomes all individuals committed to educating about or combatting sex-based civil rights and discrimination against women, and finding more federal employment opportunities for women.

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