Jump to your issues:

Defining “Woman”

Creating Economic Opportunity

Unleashing Childcare Options

What is a “Woman”

Download Stand with Women Models

The Stand with Women Legislative Options were developed by Independent Women to preserve the legal existence of women, as distinct from men. 

The legislative package includes:

• Definitions of sex-based words like “woman,” “man,” “male,” “female,” and “sex;”
• Legal protection to defend women’s single-sex spaces and opportunities (sports, prisons, locker rooms, women’s domestic violence shelters, etc.);
• Protection of female sports;
• Protecting the integrity of government-collected vital data statistics.

Our Stand with Women Act combines each of these model legislative options into a comprehensive package that not only defines ‘male’ and ‘female’ terms, but also protects female spaces and opportunities.

Does your state Stand with Women? 

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Resources:

• Cruel and Unusual Punishment Report
• Legal Policy Focus: Sex is Better Than Gender
• 60 Seconds Brief: Women’s Bill of Rights

Creating Economic Opportunity

To promote economic opportunity, policies should support workplace flexibility and reject policies that force workers into rigid 9-to-5 work relationships. This includes removing unfair and unnecessary barriers to work by enhancing occupational licensing portability across state lines.  Furthermore, independent workers seeking benefits shouldn’t have to give up their independent status. Portable benefits, such as health care and retirement, offer a way for workers to carry benefits wherever they go. 

Legislation

Download the Voluntary Portable Benefits Model

Our State Impact

Federal and state policies are outdated in light of new models of work. Many self-employed professionals and freelancers are unable to access workplace benefits—such as healthcare, retirement, disability, and parental benefits—without jeopardizing their independent status.

Women value flexibility. They work independently to balance earning incomes with raising children, caregiving for aging parents, and managing their health issues.

Independent Women engaged in efforts to pass portable benefits legislation in five states in 2025, with Tennessee and Alabama passing bills this year.

This builds on our efforts to align federal policy with state legislation. We’ve testified before U.S. House and Senate committee hearings and roundtables and advised policymakers on two federal bills:

• Watch: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) hearing “Freedom to Work: Unlocking Benefits for Independent Workers”
• Watch: House Education & the Workforce Committee, Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, hearing “Unlocking Opportunity: Allowing Independent Contractors to Access Benefits”
• In the News: Pennsylvania Roundtable hosted by U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie

Interactive Portable Benefits Map

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Resources

• 60 Seconds Brief: Occupational Licensing
• 60 Seconds Brief: AB5
• How To Talk About Protecting Worker Flexibility and Freedom
• Policy Focus: Solutions to Occupational Licensing Challenges
• 60 Seconds Brief: Portable Benefits
• Policy Focus: Portable Benefits

Unleashing Childcare Options

Families should have the freedom to choose the childcare arrangement that best suits their needs. To help make this a reality, policies should focus on reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens and supporting a strong, flexible childcare market. While state regulations are often put in place in the name of protecting children, too many rules create unreasonable requirements that do not improve the quality of care, but simply increase costs for providers and families and keep potential providers out of the market. 

Legislation

Tennessee is a leading model of this approach, having recently passed legislation aimed at streamlining licensing regulations for childcare providers. Independent Women was part of the effort to help advance this important reform.

This won’t solve every childcare challenge, but it is a meaningful step toward expanding access, supporting providers, and giving families more options. We hope other states follow Tennessee’s lead and take action to improve childcare affordability and choice in their own communities.

Resources

• Policy Focus: Parents—Not Government—Should Control Child Care
• 60 Seconds Brief: Child Care
• How to Talk About Child Care