Qualitative and Quantitative Research
In Minnesota, research data illustrate sharp disparities in outcomes for young women in Minnesota’s communities of color and in greater Minnesota.
However, the Women’s Foundation believes data alone does not tell the entire story – hearing personal narratives allows us to get to the community context.
Explore Our Research:
The Power of Listening
Road to Transformation
Listening Series
Through nine Listening Sessions in WFMN’s Road to Transformation Listening Series in March 2021, we deepened our understanding of the real, lived experiences of Minnesota women and girls so that we can continue to strategically eliminate the challenges and barriers they and their families face because of inequities and injustice in our systems.
Participants discussed the impacts of COVID-19, racial injustice, economic inequities, incarceration, and additional crises on women, girls, and families, and shared their solutions to create a state where all women, girls, and their families can thrive.
The themes and solutions that surfaced across the Listening Series will inform the Women’s Foundation’s statewide agenda for gender and racial justice, using our levers for grantmaking, policy, strategic partnerships, narrative change, and research for years to come.
Executive Summary:
Themes & Solutions for Whole Community Well-Being
The past year illuminated vast and unconscionable inequity and laid bare the daily injustices against Black lives and all people pushed to the margins. COVID-19 revealed the vulnerabilities borne by working people who risked their health to provide for their families, while lacking the benefits and job security to stay home and safe. The pandemic showed us the stress of unpaid care work and the resilience of mothers, care workers, frontline workers – all essential components of families, our economy, and whole community well-being.
While every Listening Session revealed themes and solutions unique to the issue and community, several themes were emphasized across sessions. From mental health, the impacts of trauma, to financial insecurity, women and their families have shared experiences and needs related to health, safety, and economic well-being.
Listening Session Reports
Throughout the nine Listening Sessions, women and girls with lived experience in the session topic shared critical, actionable solutions to address inequities across our state. Individual reports for each session are grounded in data from WFMN’s Status of Women & Girls in Minnesota report and include detailed community-specific insights and solutions for transformational, systemic change.
COVID-19: Women & Girls on the Frontlines
LaCora Bradford Kesti, Director of Community Impact, Women’s Foundation of Minnesota
The Economic Status of Working Women & Families
Angelica Klebsch, Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio (CLUES)
Justice System-Impacted Women & Girls
Autumn Mason, Ostara Initiative
Listening to Women in Rural Minnesota
Teresa Kittridge, 100 Rural Women
Minnesota Racial Justice Uprising: Centering Black Mothers & Caregivers
Dr. Brittany Lewis, Research in Action
Not One More: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
Nicole Matthews, Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition
Unheard Voices: Asian Americans Experiencing Hate
Bo Thao-Urabe, Council for Asian-American Leaders (CAAL)
The Status of Girls in Minnesota
Neda Kellogg, Project DIVA International
The Status of Older Women in Minnesota
Gloria Perez, President & CEO, Women’s Foundation of Minnesota
Qualitative Research: Listening to Community
Listening to Young Women
From November 2015 – December 2016, the Women’s Foundation convened nine listening sessions featuring young women and advocates from the Somali and East African, American Indian, African American, Latina, Hmong and Karen, LGBTQ, disabilities, and northern and southern Greater Minnesota communities. The sessions enabled each community to form its own panels to allow for deeper conversation around economics, racism and culture, school and education, societal and gender norms, safety, and health.
We know problems and solutions are found in the same place and hearing directly from young women and youth is an important part of finding solutions. The information gathered from the sessions helps the Foundation develop a statewide agenda for gender and racial equity and increase resources for girls and women across Minnesota with the greatest disparities in outcomes. The qualitative data we gained from the listening sessions was instrumental in driving the Young Women’s Initiative of Minnesota (YWI MN).
Listening to Young Women of Color, Youth, & Advocates: Volume I
Listening to Young Women of Color, Youth, & Advocates: Volume II
Listening to Young Women of Color, Youth, & Advocates: Volume III
Listening to Young Women of Color, Youth, & Advocates: Executive Summary
Listening to Young Women of Color, Youth, & Advocates: Volume I
Produced with the participation of the White House Council on Women and Girls, Listening to Young Women of Color, Youth, & Advocates: Volume I documents the first two listening sessions the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota convened for young women and advocates from the Somali and East African communities and American Indian communities.
Listening to Young Women of Color, Youth, & Advocates: Volume II
Produced with the participation of the NoVo Foundation, Listening to Young Women of Color, Youth, & Advocates: Volume II documents three listening sessions the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota convened for young women and advocates from the African American, Latina, and Hmong and Karen communities.
Listening to Young Women of Color, Youth, & Advocates: Volume III
Produced with the participation of the NoVo Foundation, Listening to Young Women of Color, Youth, & Advocates: Volume III documents three listening sessions the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota convened for young women, youth, and advocates from the LGBTQ, and from Greater Minnesota (northern and southern).
Listening to Young Women of Color, Youth, & Advocates: Executive Summary
Produced with the participation of the NoVo Foundation, Listening to Minnesota’s Young Women, Youth, & Advocates: Executive Summary provides a high-level overview of all the Foundation’s listening sessions with young women of color, American Indian young women, young women from Greater Minnesota, LGBTQ youth, and young women with disabilities.