Young Women’s Initiative of Minnesota
A First-of-Its-Kind Partnership to Create Equal Opportunity
We’re on a mission to create a Minnesota where every girl has the opportunity to thrive and is the champion of her own life. A public-private partnership between the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota and the State of Minnesota, the Young Women’s Initiative of Minnesota is a multi-year, multi-million-dollar investment to achieve equity in opportunities and to improve the lives of young women of color, American Indian young women, young women from Greater Minnesota, LGBTQ youth, and young women with disabilities.
Advancing Opportunities with Young Women in Minnesota
The Young Women’s Initiative of Minnesota will deliver a Blueprint for Action to strategically create and advance opportunities for and with young women in Minnesota to achieve equity in opportunities and start eliminating barriers to ensure that all Minnesotans can live prosperous lives.
The project will also include indicators to measure and evaluate the progress made in Minnesota toward gender equity. The Initiative, designed to be as participatory and inclusive as possible, is comprised of two core committees that will drive the work: Young Women’s Cabinet and Young Women’s Initiative Council
National Partnership
The Women’s Foundation is the founding member and host of the National Philanthropoic Collaborative of Young Women’s Initiatives. Women’s foundations across the country are leading young women’s initiatives in their communities so young women of color can thrive everywhere.
In the News
Governor Dayton & WFMN Invite Young Women to Apply for Opportunities with YWI MN
Office of the Governor & WFMN release YWI MN’s Blueprint for Action
Read the launch press release.
Watch the video of the press conference.
YWI MN In The News: Star Tribune, WCCO, MN Daily, Fox 9 (KMSP), MN News Network, MinnPost
Read the WFMN Innovators grant announcement.
WFMN Innovators in The News: Microgrants Help Young Women Lead Change, A Push Against Online Shaming
Our Work
Blueprint for Action
Built with community partners, based on community-specific listening sessions, and funded through Women’s Foundation investments, the Blueprint for Action proposes community-led solutions to advance opportunities and start eliminating barriers for young women in Minnesota.
Listening Sessions
From November 2015 to 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 is instrumental in driving the Young Women’s Initiative of Minnesota (YWI MN).
Check out these listening session storyboards and more in our research ›
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
Young Women’s Cabinet
The Young Women’s Cabinet, comprised of up to 25 young women and youth leaders (ages 16-24) from eight communities across Minnesota, is charged with ensuring that the work of the Council stays grounded in the lived experiences of the young women and youth from each community and the community-specific challenges and solutions they identified. The YWCA St. Paul works with the Young Women’s Cabinet to provide leadership development.
Young Women’s Initiative MN Council
The Young Women’s Initiative MN Council comprises 70 cross-sector leaders from government, business, higher education, philanthropy, and the community. Three co-chairs from the Young Women’s Cabinet sit on the Council. The role of the Council, in partnership with the Cabinet, is to sequence the Blueprint for Action and catalyze resources to move the recommendations forward.
Get Involved
Become a champion with young women in Minnesota and ensure a better future for all.