Young Women + Girls Research Launches
Women’s Fund of Greater Fort Wayne Launches Young Women + Girls Data at Summit.
March 8, 2022 – Fort Wayne, IN – The Women’s Fund of Greater Fort Wayne is celebrating International Women’s Day by releasing new data at the Young Women + Girls Summit.
New York Times Best-Selling Author of Somebody’s Daughter, host, educator, and Fort Wayne native, Ashley C. Ford was the keynote speaker and shared her experience growing up in Fort Wayne and why she is passionate about investing in the voices of our youth. At the summit, the Women’s Fund launched its newest set of research on young women and girls between the ages of 12-24 in Allen County and their lived experiences. A panel of girls who participated in the study shared their hopes, dreams, and perspectives through a question and answer session.
The research on Greater Fort Wayne’s Young Women and Girls focused on topics ranging from access to mental and reproductive health resources and education, to gender-based violence and experiences of racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination. The data highlights that 47% of young women experience anxiety, and 30% regularly experience anxiety, depression, and stress.
In response to the themes in the research, the Women’s Fund will be launching a Youth Gender Advocacy Council as a way to educate young people on how to use their voices to make meaningful change in gender-based issues.
“We don’t need to give young women and girls a voice: they already have one. They know how they feel, the changes they want to see, and how to improve our community,” said Cassie Beer, Women’s Fund Director. “We need to be able to not just listen to them, but empower them to find places to use their voices for change, inclusion, and equity.”