The 2023 research report Gender Equity in Western Massachusetts: The Status of Women, Girls, Transgender, Nonbinary, and Gender-Diverse Adults and Youth has been completed.
This is the Women’s Fund’s third commissioned research report on the status of women and girls since 2013. This report, prepared by the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts and funded by Women’s Fund donors and grants from Feeding America and The Beveridge Family Foundation:
- Sheds light on strengths, progress, and areas of continued or emerging gender inequity in our four-county region of Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties.
- Informs our strategic planning and grantmaking for the next several years.
- Provides actionable data and insights for our current partners, and to motivate others to pursue gender and racial equity.
- Supports collective advocacy by using findings to engage stakeholders, community-based organizations, for-profit companies, other funders, government, higher education, and other agencies in advancing gender-equitable policies and practices.
The research report includes data on gender demographics, employment & earnings, poverty and opportunity, health and well-being, reproductive justice, violence and safety, leadership, and political participation. We also sought a deeper understanding of the experiences of several populations, including Indigenous women, survivors of intimate partner violence, immigrant and refugee women and girls, formerly incarcerated women and Springfield women and girls of color.
CEO Donna Haghighat explained, “We engage in research not only to measure our progress towards gender and racial equity, but also to provide our region and its many nonprofits with data that helps them develop their own strategies and to have critical data they need when applying for grant funding to fuel their missions.”
Both the full report and key findings can be downloaded at the Women’s Fund’s Data Hub.
Want to learn more?
The public is invited to learn about the research report and some key findings at one of three Women’s Fund’s presentations (reservations are required at the links below)
Springfield | Monday, November 6th 2:00 – 4:00 pm | East Forest Park Branch Library
Pittsfield | Wednesday, November 15th 4:00 – 6:00 pm | Pittsfield Country Club
Greenfield | Wednesday, November 29th 4:00 – 6:00 pm | Greenfield Community College
Many thanks to Greylock Federal Credit Union and Greenfield Savings Bank for sponsoring these events!
