women's well-being index
At the heart of a thriving community is the well-being of its women and girls. At the Women’s Fund we are committed to measuring and understanding conditions affecting women’s lives in key areas.
By shining a light on disparities and barriers, the Index empowers us to take informed, collective action to create a more equitable and inclusive future.
While philanthropy plays an important role in addressing immediate needs and funding critical programs, it cannot drive systemic change alone. True progress requires the collaboration of many sectors—government, nonprofits, businesses, and community advocates—all working in alignment to address the root causes of inequality. Government can play a central role in shaping policies and allocating resources that ensure women have access to the opportunities and protections they need to thrive. From equitable healthcare and affordable childcare to workplace protections and education equity, government action is essential to addressing the structural challenges that the Index illuminates.
The Wisconsin Women’s Well-Being Index is more than a collection of data—it’s a call to action.
By highlighting where women and girls are flourishing and where inequities persist, it provides a roadmap for change. This Index invites all of us—philanthropists, policymakers, business leaders, and citizens—to step up and take responsibility for creating a society where every woman and girl can achieve her full potential.
Together, we can use this tool to spark conversations, advocate for effective policies, and direct investments where they are needed most. The Wisconsin Women’s Well-Being Index reminds us that building equity is not just about individual acts of generosity but about collective systems change, where philanthropy and government policy work hand in hand to dismantle barriers and create lasting transformation.
This is more than an index—it’s a starting point for meaningful progress. Let’s work together to ensure that the data we gather today translates into action and impact for the women and girls of tomorrow.
Amy Washbush, PhD
Amy Washbush, PhD, is the Associate Director of the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies (the CommNS) of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A community-based researcher and evaluator, Dr. Washbush leads the CommNS Co-Create team of staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students in projects that help answer organizations’ important questions and advance their missions.
Note from Dr. Washbush: The CommNS Co-Create team was excited to partner with the Women’s Fund of Greater Milwaukee in preparing two reports.
In over 80 partnerships since 2017, the Co-Create team works with nonprofits, funders, and others in community assessments, program evaluations, data
and evaluation capacity-building, community advisory boards, research-to-practice program planning, and more.
Building from the Women’s Well-Being Index below, we were able to connect these indicators of women’s education, economic security, health and safety, and housing to comparative data from other states and to current research findings to contextualize this information and inform action steps. We also contacted some of our university colleagues to share their insights and enrich our collective understanding. We greatly appreciate their contributions to this report.