(Image via CWIB’s Instagram)
Volunteer Writer: Lexcey Jordan
Email: ljordan3@umassd.edu
In a world where most of the business industry is composed of male colleagues, the Charlton Women in Business Association (CWIB) at UMass Dartmouth is fighting to change the status quo by empowering women to amplify their voices and redefine the future of business.
Their story began in 2020, and it is far from over.
After joining the Charlton Women in Business organization in the spring semester of 2025, I was more determined than ever to make a difference and advocate for my fellow women in the business realm and other fields of work. As one of the co-presidents of the organization this academic year, I am dedicated to the mission of CWIB and what we stand for: “Fostering personal and professional growth through collaborations, meaningful relationships, mentorship, and programming.”
CWIB’s latest adventure in the Fall 2025 semester included a trip to New York City’s Winning Women Conference. Learning from reputable executives and CEOs, students took this opportunity to expand their networks, strengthen their skills through hands-on workshops, and gain insight into the corporate world through discussion panels with professionals in the business industry.
This experience allowed us to become university partners with the conference organization, yielding huge success for CWIB’s history.
The Charlton Women in Business Association is represented by undergraduate and graduate students at UMass Dartmouth, and it serves students who wish to improve their academic, professional, and personal skills. CWIB provides not only its members but other students at the university with resources and networking opportunities to thrive in every industry. The club is pushing to unite students around campus, regardless of their gender or areas of study, to join the fight towards equality in the workplace and female empowerment.
CWIB takes pride in supporting our male counterparts. We encourage men to join the organization and become our allies to better understand the disparities women face in comparison with men. Although it may not seem so, they will walk away with just as much insight, personal and professional growth as their female peers.
Dr. Melissa Pacheco, Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs (for the Charlton College of Business (CCB)) and CWIB’s advisor, introduced me to the American Association of University Women (AAUW). This organization serves to educate others about women’s rights and promote gender equality and empowerment. A huge disparity between men and women in the workforce is the wage gap. According to AAUW, “women working full time in the U.S. are paid 81% of what men earn,” and “at the current rate of change, we won’t achieve pay equality until 2088.” The organization provides an “Equal Pay Day Calendar,” which marks the date it takes a woman to make a man’s salary. Equal Pay Day is on March 26, 2026. According to data from the most recent U.S. Census Bureau, women have to work an entire calendar year and an extra three months into the next year to earn what a man makes in one year.
In the fall of 2019, freshman student Sarah Camara and Dr. Pacheco had a vision for a network of women to come together to support each other and share their experiences as women in the CCB.
She told me her inspiration came from her first business class at the UMass Dartmouth, which was business communication. The only women in that course were herself, another female student, and the professor.
Funnily enough, I had a similar experience in the business communication course I took in the fall of 2024 where I was the only female student in the class along with the professor. Camara told me she wanted to meet other women who were CCB students, especially because it was her first semester on campus and she did not know many of her peers yet.
The importance of the organization being open to any student has been derived from Camara’s belief that “everyone is going to need some sort of business acumen as, you know, we grow up, we start our careers, graduate college, and everything from resume-building or salary negotiations, really key things that I think every person should have access to.”
Similarly, Dr. Pacheco highlighted the opportunity for all members of CWIB to expand their networks through the membership of both male and female participation to forge an alliance and break down barriers. “We have never excluded, nor will ever exclude, anyone. It would actually be helpful for men to join so we can show a united front,” she said.
Dr. Pacheco shared that she did not know how to navigate the business world as a woman, and she wanted to change the conversation and give women leverage to rise to the occasion. As a first-generation college student and of third-generation Portuguese-American descent, her parents did not know how to advise her to go to college and enter the workforce. She found that her expectations were to fulfill roles like that of a secretary or a paralegal, but never roles like a lawyer or CEO.
Even during work meetings, she has noticed her male colleagues are given more respect and attention than her and her fellow women coworkers.
The question is why? Why are women undermined and seen as less valuable than our male counterparts? Why are men usually more called upon for projects and challenges than women are?
This is a prime example of why CWIB exists. The organization is committed to advocating for fairness across genders and educating on these issues.
Dr. Pacheco said it best: “We don’t want more than what other people want. We just want equity.”
To continue our efforts toward women’s rights and equality, the Charlton Women in Business Association is accepting members on a continuous basis. The club plans to host more networking events, professional business photoshoots, resume and LinkedIn profile building workshops, as well as events across campus and throughout the community to further our cause.