As Director of the Women's Fund of Greater Fort Wayne, I am reminded daily of the power women hold when we come together to shape the future of our community. Volunteering not only allows us to build critical connections but also gives us a voice and agency in an ever-evolving world. Especially moving into 2025, it's more important than ever for women in Fort Wayne to actively shape the fabric of our society.

In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Women’s Fund has partnered with 45 local bars and restaurants in a campaign to raise awareness and support for those affected by domestic and sexual violence.

Athletes already have to train to win within a pool, track, or balance beam—there isn’t a reason they should have to train their body to fit into the mold of an unachievable, constantly changing beauty standard of a woman too.

Caitlin Clark's meteoric rise in women's basketball has brought unprecedented attention to the sport. Her influence has not only driven ticket sales and ratings but also sparked discussions about the economic impact of women across various industries.

In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, 12 local area coffee shops are caring No Matter What drink sleeves through the month of April to spread the message that gender-based violence is never the survivor’s fault.

In January, lawmakers convened for the 2024 session of the Indiana General Assembly. Below are bills that would impact the lives of women and girls in Hoosier communities, including healthcare, personal safety, and economic equality.

Fostering gender equality is not just a moral imperative but a key driver of social and economic progress.

This campaign coincides with Domestic Violence Awareness Month and involves 40 bars and restaurants across Allen Co.

Concerns for equality are still prominent as young women are entering the professional world.

A report by the ICESA revealed that as of 2021, there were over 5,500 untested sexual assault kits in Indiana’s law enforcement agencies.

In Indiana, the average pay gap between a man and a woman is $12,460. For Allen County, that number is $15,590. The numbers get worse when we look at diverse communities.

Currently in Indiana, state law requires that schools provide instruction on acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), but does not require education on what is defined as sex, sexual orientation, or on consent.

In the Women & Girls Study of Greater Fort Wayne, we learned that one in three women in our community experiences domestic violence in her lifetime. This outpaces the national average of one in four.

When we have advocacy focused on supporting women’s economic security, real change happens. And we know that when women thrive in the workplace, everyone thrives in the workplace. A new study by Pew Research shows that women are more likely to champion DEI initiatives in the workplace, and that women in leadership tend to provide more holistic support to their employees.

The Women’s Fund of Greater Fort Wayne has launched the No Matter What Campaign. No Matter What is a campaign to quickly, efficiently, and discreetly connect sexual violence survivors to up-to-date resources they need most. Because no matter what, survivors are worthy of community support.

Even before the shutdown, researchers were studying alarming increases in anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns among teenagers. Our own research, conducted before the pandemic, revealed that Allen County girls in grades 7-10 were more than twice as likely to have made a plan for suicide than boys.

Women’s Fund of Greater Fort Wayne is celebrating International Women’s Day by releasing new data at the Young Women + Girls Summit.

The Signal for Help campaign didn’t just teach survivors how to indicate their struggle, it also taught the public how to safely offer support and assistance to those trapped in dangerous environments.

We know from our research that 75% of working-age women in Allen County are in the workforce. What can we do to help empower them?

The Women’s Fund celebrates its first year by announcing its first Director, a new website, and a partnership with Women United!