The Jean Y. Jew Women's Rights Award was established in the spring of 1992 to honor Jew and others who demonstrate outstanding effort or achievement in improving the status of women on campus.

The award was created by the Council on the Status of Women (CSW) and co-sponsored by the Women's Resource and Action Center (WRAC), after it was decided an award honoring women's rights at The University of Iowa was long overdue.

Candidates for this award have a strong record of support for women’s rights in a broad sense, a commitment to women’s rights at The University of Iowa, and one or more of the following related to women’s rights:

• Particular contributions to The University of Iowa
• Long-standing record of leadership, effort, and activism.
• Accomplishments with national scope or impact

"[Jew] is an example of someone who has been willing to stand up against discrimination. All women on campus have won a significant battle because she was willing to make the effort - emotional, physical effort - and stand up to the situation in her department."

- Dee Casteel, Chair of the first Jean Jew Award Selection Committee