AAUW of Tennessee has been making our state a better place for women and girls to work and learn since 1926.

Today, women have made great strides in the workplace and in education. Despite our achievements, we are still vastly under-represented in corporate and government leadership, as well as in cutting edge fields, such as technology and science. And we experience a significant wage gap, earning only 54 to 78 cents on the dollar of men. This gap especially impacts Tennessee families since 70% of Tennessee women work.

These are central concerns of AAUW of Tennessee, a membership organization of college-educated individuals from all walks of life who share a common purpose—to make Tennessee a better place for women and girls to work and learn.

We aim to shape the public dialogue on women and girls, as well as to open doors to new educational opportunities and skills for the 21st Century work force. We do this through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research.

We are part of a national network that supports our work throughout Tennessee. Our national organization (170,000 members strong) is a powerful voice on women’s issues in Washington, D. C. (https://www.aauw.org/) and provides nationally recognized research and programming on education and work for women and girls.

AAUW of Tennessee unifies AAUW membership throughout the state, facilitating the work of our nine branches in Columbia, Knoxville, Martin, Maryville, McMinnville, Memphis, Murfreesboro, Nashville, and Oak Ridge.

Shaping the public dialogue

AAUW Tennessee believes that pay equity and equal opportunity are a matter of simple fairness. AAUW Tennessee leads the effort to end pay discrimination and open doors for women in the workplace. We are currently engaging our members and allies in supporting paycheck fairness legislation to improve the workplace for women.

Educating about the Pay Gap on Equal Pay Day

Opening doors to new educational opportunities and skills for the 21st century work force

AAUW Tennessee supports AAUW Fellowships and Career Development Grants ($3.7 million awarded in 2014-2015) and AAUW programs that build the skills for women and girls to succeed in education and the work force, including leadership workshops and STEM camps and conferences.

What might you have in common with Eleanor Roosevelt?

Become an AAUW member as she was!

AAUW membership is open to college students and anyone with a college degree, including a two-year degree. Contact Ayne Cantrell, Membership Chair, for current membership incentives, or join online today.

In principle and practice, AAUW values and seeks a diverse membership.  There shall be no barriers to full participation in this organization on the basis of gender, race, creed, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or class.

Members from across the state convene for the AAUW-TN 2015 Leadership Summit

Why join AAUW?

Letha Granberry: Current President I joined AAUW because it is an organization that does so many powerful things for women and girls. I have been a member for 10 years and have enjoyed working on AAUW’s missions. We have many areas for potential and present members to be engaged, such as campus initiatives, stem education, case support, educational funding, global connections, member leadership, Public Policy, and salary negotiation. I have attended 5 national conferences, but only 1 Lobby Day event. It was great to be a part of the 2017 Tennessee Delegation and having the opportunity to speak with our elected officials’ legislative staff regarding things that affect women. With the changes that are being proposed, there is still the need for AAUW to continue helping to improve the lives of women and their families. If you want to get involved, here are 10 ways to make it happen: Get the facts; Make a donation; Take action online; Tell your school to join our community; Join a student organization; Share the issues on Facebook; Host an event; Join our national community; Connect with an AAUW branch near you; and Collaborate with us. Advocating for women and girls is what we do.

Read more member endorsements.