Advocacy

June is Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT)  Pride Month. On June 2, 2014, President Barack Obama declared June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month. The President’s proclamation outlined the important legislative changes in the advancement of LGBT equity that occurred at the state and federal level.  The President noted that the Obama Administration “proudly stands alongside all ... Read More »

The National Association of Social Workers – Massachusetts Chapter (NASW-MA) and NASW’s national headquarters in Washington, D.C. are disappointed by a United States Supreme Court ruling on Thursday that unanimously overturned the Massachusetts law that created a 35-foot buffer zone around health clinics offering abortion services.  The Court stated that establishing these zones infringed on the First Amendment rights of ... Read More »

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, June 15   Every year, at least one in 10 older adults experiences elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Moreover, researchers estimate that, for every reported case of elder abuse, another 23.5 cases go unreported. Social workers play essential roles in preventing, identifying, and addressing elder abuse. That’s why every action by every individual is needed ... Read More »

The terrorist kidnapping of more than 200 girls from their boarding school in Nigeria and the threat they could be sold into the human trafficking market is a tragic and frightening event and social workers around the world should advocate for their release. Social workers should also educate the public that human trafficking is a common. It is truly a ... Read More »

Social workers and other members of the social justice community are disappointed the Senate on Wednesday failed to pass the Fair Minimum Wage Act (S.460). Fortunately, the Obama Administration will continue to press for the passage of the bill. In turn, they are asking Americans in favor of the Fair Minimum Wage Act to press members of Congress to pass ... Read More »

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) applauds NBA Commissioner Adam Silver for imposing a lifetime ban and $2.5-million fine on Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling for making racist and demeaning remarks about African Americans. However, NASW recognizes more work must be done to end racism that is deeply ingrained in our nation’s social systems, communities and institutions, including ... Read More »

President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder have begun to make good on their promise to reform criminal justice sentencing reform and encourage sensible drug policies. A first step toward sentencing reform began with Holder’s March 13, 2014 announcement of a new policy intended to shorten sentences for certain federal drug offenders. Just weeks later on April 20 Holder announced ... Read More »

President Barack Obama will join former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush this week at the LBJ Presidential Library Library in Austin, Texas, to honor the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. The gathering of the current and former presidents is associated with the Civil Rights Summit, a three-day event that is part of the national ... Read More »

April 8, 2014, symbolizes how far into 2014 women have to work to catch up with what men were paid in 2013. Still 50 years after the Equal Pay Act, women who are employed full time, are paid only 77 cents for every dollar paid to men. However, the wage gap for women of color (African American and Hispanic) is ... Read More »

Approximately 2.2 million service members make up the U.S. all-volunteer force in the active, National Guard, and Reserve components, representing less than one percent of all U.S. citizens. Furthermore, veterans constitute seven percent of the country’s population, or almost 22 million persons, with ten percent of those being female. The largest living cohort of veterans served during the Vietnam era. ... Read More »