The Women’s Foundation of Colorado’s first major research project since 2000 shows the top issue for women statewide is the same as it was the year the group launched: economic security.
But it’s different today than in 1987, when the foundation conducted its first statewide listening tour to learn the priorities of women and girls.
“The number of women heads of household has increased dramatically over the past 25 years, which creates an enormous economic-security gap both today, and looking into the future,” said Louise Atkinson, the foundation’s president and chief executive.
Just as the 1987 tour influenced the direction of the foundation, the 2012 tour of 10 communities is the keystone of “Status of Women and Girls in Colorado,” to be published next year, accompanied by a “very major summit” to inform everyone from local leaders to state politicians, Atkinson said.
“We’re trying to make smart systemic change,” Atkinson said. “That doesn’t happen overnight, but when you have the right data in front of the legislature, it makes a difference.”
has been hired to produce the report, which will be the foundation’s first comprehensive survey of women’s lives in Colorado since 2000.
The report is part of the five-year plan developed by the foundation on the eve of its 25th anniversary, aimed toward making sure nonprofit organizations, public officials and agencies consider how their policies and programs impact women throughout their lives.
To start, . The participants discussed everything from educational opportunities and politics to child care, gender and pay equity.
A majority wanted to see more mentoring programs for developing leadership skills, but only 17 percent thought
political activism was “the most important way” in which they lead in their communities.
“The political piece is an area where we need to look even deeper,” said Atkinson. “Maybe it was just the beginning stages of seeing some younger women getting interested in politics, but we need to find out why more women don’t want to take that next step.”
Women in El Jebel emphasized the need for improved communication about educational opportunities. Because their Eagle County community is relatively isolated,women and girls don’t know how to find and obtain the education and training to pursue their academic and career goals.
“They said it was a challenge finding help. There is so much information out there, but they can’t find it,” Atkinson said. “Maybe it’s not having a computer, or knowing where to go, but we saw huge opportunities to partner with different communities to get these program resources to women.”
In Grand Junction, a number of young women from a Girl Scout troop talked about incidents of sexual harassment and disrespect they’ve faced in school. In Alamosa, women discussed the need for resilience in a high-poverty region.
In Fort Collins, they talked about how women leaders in academia were role models, and said having a woman president at Colorado State University would represent a breakthrough.
Colleen O’Connor: 303-954-1083, coconnor@denverpost.com or twitter.com/coconnordp
