Women’s Bureau is an agency of the United States Department of Labor. It develops policies and programs to improve the welfare and status of women in the work force. The bureau is chiefly a fact-finding, service, and promotional agency. It does not administer any laws.
The Women’s Bureau conducts research and develops programs to find ways of improving job opportunities for women and girls, especially in fields that have not traditionally been open to them. It encourages improved vocational counseling, better job-training programs, and continuing education for women. It works for the expansion of child care and other supportive services. The bureau also promotes legislation to improve the status of women and to eliminate sex discrimination in the workplace. It conducts or sponsors various studies and publishes its findings.
The bureau provides assistance to individuals; employers; labor unions; schools; employment agencies; federal, state, and local government agencies; and international organizations. Congress established the bureau in 1920.
