Research to Advance Women’s Economic Security
Our initial community convening of the Greater Springfield Economic Security Hub began with leadership from five core partners: Arise for Social Justice, Dress for Success Western Massachusetts, Springfield WORKS, Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts, and the Western New England University School of Law Social Justice Center. Our team began asset mapping the resources in our region based on a 12-determinant framework for a woman’s economic security. We continue to expand on this work by embarking on the next phase with teams from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass).
We are currently working with UMass researchers to develop a survey interview and a training protocol for pilot testing this fall to account for thoroughness and trauma-informed care.
The goals of this project are threefold:
- Affirm or amend the 12-determinant framework;
- Collect qualitative and quantitative data to raise awareness, correct gaps, and inform policy; and
- Educate and support the community on accessing available resources in this region.
We aim to implement the survey interviews at the beginning of 2022 with the proper approval for research to allow this project to be replicable in other communities. We remain committed to compensating participants who offer their time and energy to this project. We hope to further add value with a possible community-engaged research training certificate for the participating trained interviewers.
We remain dedicated to advancing gender and racial equity. Your time, talent, and treasure are valued as we work toward these goals.