Our Beginning
Nationally renowned scientists, writers, and activists shared groundbreaking insights on how our environment affects our health, sparking a shared commitment among attendees to protect and uplift our communities.
After the first conference in 2007, a dedicated group of women with expertise across various fields came together to channel their knowledge into community action. They wanted to spread awareness and equip others with tools to live healthier lives. United by a vision of a healthier, more informed community, these women laid the foundation for what WHE is today.
Now, WHE continues to build on that legacy by educating, empowering, and advocating for healthier environments in homes, schools, and communities across Western Pennsylvania. With each program, resource, and partnership, WHE’s mission remains clear: to support families in creating environments where everyone can thrive. Here’s to the next chapter in our journey—working together for a future that’s healthier, safer, and inspired by community action.
Advocacy & Policy Wins
Over the years, Women for a Healthy Environment has built coalitions with individuals and organizations to implement policy that helps ensure healthy, happy lives in our communities.
Local Win: Pittsburgh Lead Safety Law
The law was passed by Pittsburgh City Council in November 2021. Council passed both a Will of Council addressing lead in water found in our schools and homes and the Pittsburgh Lead Safety Law that requires lead-safe rental homes and child-occupied spaces, lead-safe demolitions, lead-safe renovations and repairs, and lead-safe water in child-occupied city facilities.
State Win: Pennsylvania's Whole Homes Repair Act
After months of campaigning around the effort, WHE celebrated a major win for our Healthy Homes program when the Whole Homes Repair Act was passed into law in Pennsylvania on July 9, 2022. With this act, Pennsylvania committed to putting $125 million from the American Rescue Plan into creating the Whole-Home Repairs program.
Federal Win: Frank Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act
From our inception in 2010, Women for a Healthy Environment rallied around and advocated for the passage of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act – and in 2016, the act finally passed!
Program Evolution
We began with two programs—Healthy Schools and Healthy Homes and grew to add Healthy Early Learning Centers, and Environmental Health Policy.
Key Articles
WHE celebrates the signing of the Infrastructure Bill and urges Congress to pass the Build Back Better Act
