Welfare and Entrepreneurship: The Critical Intersection of Gender Class Economics and Policy

Ina1988hearingbeforetheCommitteeonSmallBusiness, intheUnitedStatesHouseofRepresentatives,KathrynKeeley,ofthe Women'sEconomicDevelopmentCorporation(WEDCO),introduced somemembersofthe100thCongresstoanunco1:}llllonotion.Ms. Keeleytestifiedthatasignificantnumberofeconomically disadvantagedwomenhavethedesire,talentandmotivationtocreate jobsinordertosupportthemselvesandtheirfamilies.Anexperton creativesurvivalforwomen,Ms.KeeleydevelopedWEDCOinSt. Paul,Minnesota,in1983.Thisnonprofitorganizationassistswomen, includingthosewhoareunemployed,orAFDCrecipients,in achievingeconomicself-sufficiencythroughownershipofverysmall businesses(U.S.House1988a,205).