Allyse R. Worland
Owner, Funeral Director, Embalmer
With a Bachelor's in Funeral Service Management and a certificate in Thanatology, Allyse is an owner, funeral director, embalmer and spokesperson for the NFDA.
Women in End-of-Life Professions
Explore inspiring career spotlights and resources celebrating women in end-of-life professions. Learn, connect, and nominate a leader making a difference today.
End-of-life work is women’s work, and it always has been.
Women have long been the quiet backbone of end-of-life care. From nursing the dying, comforting the grieving, and managing the logistics of death, to nearly everything else in between. Yet, for much of modern history, their labor has been undervalued or invisible. Today, women continue to claim their place in the field, not just as caregivers but as funeral directors, death doulas, hospice leaders, and legal advocates.
This page honors the women who came before us, those serving now, and those who will shape the future of end-of-life professions long in the future.
“This profession is missing out on the valuable perspectives and talents of women essential for its future growth and success.”
Spotlights
10 women redefining what end-of-life work looks like, one role and one family at a time.
Barbara Kemmis
Executive Director, Cremation Association of North America
Barbara Kemmis is Executive Director of the Cremation Association of North America where she promotes all things cremation through member programs, education and strategic partnerships.
Danielle Knapp
CEO and Executive Director, Iowa Funeral Directors Association
Danielle Knapp is the CEO and Executive Director of the Iowa Funeral Directors Association.
Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider
Founder, End Well; Physician and Science Journalist
The founder of End Well, Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider is a renowned physician, science journalist, and leading voice in end-of-life care.
Jasmine Hathaway
Founder, Compass Coordinators; Co-Founder, Professionals of After Loss Services
Jasmine is the founder of Compass Coordinators and co-founder of Professionals of After Loss Services (PALS).
Jess Wakefield
Funeral Director and Advocate, Better Place Forests
Jess is a passionate advocate and speaker for holistic end-of-life care, green funeral options, and culturally competent grief support.
Joél Simone Maldonado "The Grave Woman"
Funeral Director, Embalmer, Sacred Grief Practitioner; Founder of The Multicultural Death & Grief Care Academy
Affectionately known as The Grave Woman, Joe'l Simone Maldonado brings over a decade of expertise to the fields of end-of-life, death, & grief care.
Lanae Strovers
Funeral Director and NFDA Trainer
Lanae Strovers serves as the Trainer for NFDA and delivers the NFDA Arranger Training suite of education opportunities. She is a first-generation funeral director and strives to help families personalize services honoring their loved one.
Lisa Baue
Founder of Funeral Women Lead
Lisa A. Baue is a nationally respected leader in funeral service and deathcare, author, speaker, and passionate advocate for women in deathcare.
Mikey Marin
Founder, Healing Hearts House (Death Doula)
Mikey the Death Doula (of the Healing Hearts House LLC) is an End of Life Care Specialist or Death Doula who specializes in compassionate care for her clients and their families.
Organizations and networks
Where to find community, mentoring and advocacy for women across the end-of-life field.
Funeral Women Lead
Founded by Lisa Baue Built to expand what is possible for women in deathcare: community, mentoring and training for women moving into leadership. Visit siteNFDA Professional Women's Conference
An annual conference for female and non-binary funeral professionals, covering leadership, self-care and the challenges specific to the field. Visit site See their fundingNFDMA Ladies Auxiliary
National Funeral Directors & Morticians Association The women's auxiliary of the NFDMA, an association founded in 1924 to hold professional standards in Black funeral service. Visit site100 Black Women of Funeral Service
Longwood, FL Supports, mentors and funds African American women entering funeral service. Visit site See their fundingWomen in Funeral Service
A legacy network. The organization is no longer active and its site is archived, but it is listed because its name still comes up and people go looking for it. Archived siteBarriers and breakthroughs
Pay gaps and underrepresentation in leadership are real. So is the shift happening underneath them.
Where it still falls short
- 24%less pay
Women make up 67% of the global health and care workforce and earn about 24% less than men doing the same work, a gap that survives adjustment for age, education and hours.
World Economic Forum
- 16%of NFDA membership
Women were 16% of National Funeral Directors Association membership as of 2017, while making up close to 65% of graduates from funeral director programs. The pipeline is not the bottleneck.
- Unequal caregiving
Women carry more of the caregiving and face higher risks of emotional, physical and sexual violence in end-of-life care settings. Men taking on caregiving meet a different problem: stigma.
What is changing
- 72%of funeral service students
Women were 72% of enrollees in funeral service education programs in 2021, with particularly strong representation among minority students.
- 87%of home health aides
Women are 87% of home health aides and 80% of personal care aides, the roles that carry most of the day-to-day work of care at the end of life.
- Women leading the change
Women are not only entering the field but reshaping it, through mentorship and networking groups building a more inclusive industry from the inside.
How to get involved
Mid-career, switching, or just starting out, these are the entry points you can use right now.
-
1
Explore the careers
Hospice, palliative care, funeral service, doula work, grief support and more.
Browse 26 careers -
2
Find training
Licenses, certifications and training programs, with what each one actually is and who needs it.
Browse credentials -
3
Apply for funding
Scholarships and grants across the field, including awards aimed specifically at women and at underrepresented students.
Browse scholarships -
4
Find a program
Degree programs, apprenticeships and short courses, filterable by state and type.
Browse schools -
5
Nominate someone
Know a woman doing work that deserves a spotlight? Put her name forward, or your own.
Nominate a spotlight
Suggest a correction Something out of date or wrong? Tell us and we will check it.