By Barbara Payne

SWWAN – the Single Working Women's Affiliate Network – celebrates the passion and courage of single self-supporting women: women who use their creativity to meet the challenges and overcome the sometimes significant societal hurdles of living singly. SWWAN shares AtMP's belief that no one should feel embarrassed or ostracized for being single. SWWAN resonates with AtMP's mission to make alternatives to marriage – including living single – more socially accepted.

Single by choice or by chance doesn't matter to SWWAN. Many single working women will marry if they meet the right man, some want to stay single forever, and some are interested in other women. Our organization celebrates the many qualities it takes to successfully negotiate life as a single women in a couples-oriented world.

Last year SWWAN approached Chase's Calendar of Events, the official guide to U.S. holidays published by McGraw-Hill. We submitted the idea for celebrating a holiday during which single working women could become the focus of attention…and possibly even gifts. Chase's rigorously screens proposals, and agreed that this was a demographic worthy of a holiday: Single Working Women's Week.

So now, just as we celebrate Mother's Day, Father's Day and so on, the U.S. has a holiday just for Single Working Women. The first official celebration was July 29 to August 4, 2007.

SWWAN is looking for ideas for celebrating the new holiday. For example, chocolates and flowers are fine, but how about these ideas: Take a single woman friend to dinner (or cook for her). Take her garbage out. Walk her dog. Take her car to the car wash, or watch her kid(s) for a couple of hours. What can you imagine as a way to give a break to people who are not only the sole breadwinner but responsible for all of life's household duties?

To send an idea for celebrating, to get more information, or to join (basic membership is free) email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , or visit www.swwan.org. Welcome to all AtMPers — single or not!