Go ahead and ask any of your female friends, coworkers or family members in western Massachusetts about the disparities that women face here, and you’ll certainly hear a wide range of anecdotes depending on her age, race, level of income, and which of the four counties that she lives in.
Undoubtedly, our personal stories and the snapshots that we gather from those around us can be very helpful in gaining somewhat of an understanding of how our laws, communities and systems are faring in terms of gender equality and true inclusion.
But data is the mechanism that amplifies our stories and makes our needs visible by giving structure to the varied hues and tones of our stories. In other words, data that is collected and used wisely can allow all of us to be heard and prevent the most vulnerable among us from being ignored in the region.
Using wide yet detailed lenses to take an unflinching look at the potential areas for growth and improvement in our four counties will allow us tremendous opportunities to make positive change. Of course, please keep sharing personal stories as a means of raising awareness, building connections and lobbying for the causes and issues that impact our lives. However, if our area can have any hope of being recognized as an undeniably vital and dynamic aspect of the Bay State, then we must also continue to gather and share data to illustrate our stories, measure our growth and shake off the persistent myth of being the “stepchild” of Massachusetts.
There has been a woeful lack of hard data concerning women and girls, and the last formal study was conducted by the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts (WFWM), in 2013. Statewide commissions on the status of women and girls, while recently expanded to include more counties in western Massachusetts, have seen dramatic cuts in resources since 2006. Clearly, someone needed to step up and gather data on the actual disparities that women and girls face, especially with a focus on people of color.
The emphasis on women and girls of color was a conscious choice by the WFWM, recognizing that we can’t work for equality and inclusivity without acknowledging that there are those among us who are historically and currently stifled and harmed by the institutionalized racism that flows through our oppressive systems.
Lucky for us, the CEO of the WFWM, Donna Haghighat, astutely understood that the time had come to generate a second report on women and girls so that we could have important baseline data at our fingertips. The report, created in partnership with the Public Health Institute of Western MA, includes data from our four counties on areas such as the gendered and racial wage gaps, as well as levels of education, rates of depression, prenatal care, and rates of sexual violence against women and girls. Highlights, the full version, and the sources utilized can all be found at mywomensfund.org/wma-women-and-girls/.
While we can celebrate a few positive highlights of the report, there are many sobering and concerning aspects. The report found that Hampden County, which is the most population dense and racially diverse of the four counties examined, faces the most acute disparities among women and girls around unemployment and poverty rates, teen births, and other health and safety factors.
Moreover, across the four counties, women struggle against some clear gaps in very key areas, such as pay equality, serving in leadership roles and political representation. Painfully, the report uncovered that while women and girls of color comprise 26% of the female population, out of a total population of 828,667 in the four counties, they are experiencing substantially higher rates of poverty than their white counterparts, in addition to undeniable health disparities compared to white peers, both male and female.
The report is an effective tool that we can use to educate others, but also mobilize and empower those in our communities to lobby our policymakers to push for true equality. Clearly, we have a long way to go, and while the issues raised by this report are beyond the scope of the Women’s Fund to solve on their own, their expert staff are seeking invitations to deliver a learning session utilizing this powerful report to inform and empower. These sessions are intended to inform our next steps in working for a healthy and inclusive western Massachusetts where every citizen, regardless of race, gender, age, or county of residence may truly be heard and thrive.
WFWM is a public foundation with over 20 years of experience supporting women and nonprofit organizations that work on behalf of women and girls in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties. Their goal with this report is to not only inspire more dialog, but continue to move the needle on progress and equality. In the future, the WFWM hopes to utilize even wider lenses that go beyond the gender binary so that our understanding of the needs and triumphs of our geographic area can include a spectrum of genders. To learn more, or to invite them to give a talk on the report, visit MyWomensFund.org.
Please note the following upcoming WFWM spring events:
■ On March 31, the American Association of University Women Salary Negotiation Workshop for Women will take place at Greenfield Community College, 5-8 p.m. The workshop will also be held on May 12 at Berkshire Community College.
■On April 8, The Connecticut Data Collaborative will facilitate a workshop called “Amplify! Your Nonprofit Storytelling through Data,” at WFWM, 1350 Main St., Springfield, from 3-5 p.m.
Chelsea Kline is a women’s leadership-focused life coach and writer and a graduate of both Smith College and Harvard Divinity School.