Where Its At...Knowledge Rules! by Vanessa Freytag

Posted At : April 12, 2011 10:14 PM | Posted By : Vanessa Freytag
Related Categories: Cincinnati Womens Resources, Philanthropy

Be informed. If there is one truth I’ve learned while working on issues that impact women and girls it is that the most powerful tool available is information. Vanessa Freytag

Championing change in the women’s arena does not often make you the most popular gal at a cocktail party. After sharing my day-job info with a new acquaintance the two most common responses are either dead air or the question “Why isn’t there a men’s fund?”

I find that the best way to engage my new “friend” is to share a fact or two. I might mention that 40% of female –headed households with young children are below the poverty line in our state or that nearly 70% of minimum wage jobs are held by women. I say these things with a small smile and add “I think we all want our community to improve economically – part of doing that is understanding and resolving the obstacles different groups face.”

And then everything changes – it’s no longer potentially adversarial or even uncomfortable. We are discussing facts – we are agreeing that the challenges of a low-income 2-parent home are different from those of a single mom.

Here’s the catch – you have to choose to go get that knowledge. In today’s 24/7 life it’s hard to make time for that, but if we are all to play a role in improving the opportunities for women it’s an important first step. To get you started here are two of my current favorites -

The Government – yep, your tax dollars are hard at work funding research that is available to all of us. Regardless of your politics Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well Being State, released in March 2011, is an eye-opening report which includes education, income, health and violence data for the nation and by state. It is the first comprehensive report in nearly 50 years on how women are faring in our country http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/Women_in_America.pdf

National Women’s Law Center – not just a site for the attorneys among us. NWLC conducts in depth research and actively advocates on key issues like gender equity, childcare and access to healthcare. www.nwlc.org

And when get one more minute - let me know what your favorite sites and reports are!

Vanessa Freytag | Executive Director

The Women's Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation

www.cincinnatiwomensfund.org

THE WOMEN'S FUND AGENDA FOR THE FUTURE:

CLOSE THE GAP; GROW STRONG GIRLS; DEVELOP WOMEN LEADERS; ASSESS PROGRESS

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Where It's At...Let's Start The Discussion by Vanessa Freytag

Posted At : March 11, 2011 3:53 PM | Posted By : Vanessa Freytag
Related Categories: Philanthropy

Welcome to “Where It’s At” – a blog that takes a clear look at issues and trends that are impacting women and girls in our communities. My name is Vanessa Freytag and I am the Executive Director of The Women’s Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

I’ve spent 15 years in corporate America, nearly a decade as a business owner and for the past 3 years I’ve been in my dream job - leading The Women’s Fund to work on 4 key areas impacting women/girls in our region. Our Agenda for the Future reflects issues that are evident in most American communities :

Close the Gap – build economic self-sufficiency and reduce disparities faced by women of color, women in poverty and women heading households alone
Grow Strong Girls – increase opportunities for girls to connect with their families, peers, school and community
Develop Women Leaders – lead collaborations that increase leadership development, networking and mentoring
Assess Progress – support opportunities to improve the collection of gender-specific data

What can you expect from Where It’s At? Some of our discussions may be heavy, some may be rather cynical and some will certainly be light-hearted because one of the things I know after 20+ years volunteering in and working on women’s issues is that sometimes you just have to laugh! But, more than anything, I hope the discussions will inspire dialogue among us and be a catalyst for dialogue in your own communities.

Women in our country have a long history of inspiring and driving change by joining forces, finding common ground and championing a vision for a better future. Women are important architects of social change. That’s where it’s been since the suffragettes and that’s where it’s still at in the 21^st century!