Research & Articles

COVID-19’s Impact on Women in Northeast Wisconsin Study

 

The Women’s Fund for the Fox Valley Region, the Fond du Lac Area Women’s Fund, the Women’s Fund of Greater Green Bay, and the Women’s Fund of the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation have collaborated to produce COVID-19’s Impact on Women in Northeast Wisconsin Study and interactive dashboard.

The report is based on the response of 1.050 women from the northeast region of Wisconsin to an online survey from March 16 to April 27, 2021. The research was led by a team at the Strategic Research Institute at St. Norbert College. The purpose of this study was to measure and assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on lives of women in Northeast Wisconsin.

Specific focus area of the study included:

• Employment and income
• Ability to pay rent/mortgage
• Child care responsibilities
• Children and schooling
• Post-secondary education
• Mental health
• Hostility and violence

Key findings from the report:

• Faced with the sudden loss of child care and schooling, the COVID-19 shutdown contributed to an increased responsibility burden for working women in Northeast Wisconsin since women were more frequently responsible for the direct supervision of their children and coordinating at-home and online schooling.
• Working women who care for children experienced increased rates of poor mental health and stress during the pandemic due to the significant time spent doing unpaid care work and challenges at work due to time constraints.
• The pandemic exacerbated long-established disparities in violence against women in some instances. Those that reported violence, experienced more frequent abuse during the pandemic.
• Daily stress increased during the pandemic. Most women expressed confidence that daily stress will drop after the pandemic but not to pre-pandemic levels.
• Lower income and unpartnered women in Northeast Wisconsin experienced unique challenges citing less flexible work schedules and higher rates of furlough compared to other women, along with more child care and school responsibilities.

This collaborative study and interactive dashboard are made possible through a grant from the Basic Needs Giving Partnership of the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, a funding collaborative that includes funds from the U.S. Venture Open Fund for Basic Needs, the J. J. Keller Foundation and other community donors.

 

Status of Women in Northeast Wisconsin Report – 2017 Update

The Women’s Fund is proud to partner with the Fond du Lac Area Women’s Fund, the Women’s Fund of Greater Green Bay, and the Women’s Fund of the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation to produce the Status of Women in Northeast Wisconsin Report.

With the help of the Wisconsin Women’s Council, we were able to compile data for Brown, Fond du Lac, Outagamie and Winnebago counties, as well as data for Wisconsin as a whole. The report is intended to help inform local communities about the realities experienced by women and girls. The 2017 report gives a current and comprehensive picture of the most pressing issues for women and girls in Northeast Wisconsin.

The report analyzes data from 12 key indicators of the status of women in our region and confirms that despite our many successes, much work needs to be done to help women and girls reach their full potential.

Benefit Program Enrollment
Educational Attainment
Free & Reduced-Price School Meals
Health & Well-being
Political Representation
Violence Against Women
Who is in Poverty
Women & Poverty
Women in the Population
Women, Work & Wages
Women’s Business Ownership & Corporate Leadership
Appendix

Full Status of Women in Northeast Wisconsin Report (24 pages)

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Status of Women in the States Report

The Women’s Fund is a proud sponsor of the Status of Women in the States Report. This report provides provides data on women’s progress in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the United States overall. The data will be used to raise awareness, improve policies, and promote women’s equality. Explore the data here!

Additional Research and Resources

AAUW
ALICE Report (Asset Limited, Income Restrained, Employed)
Alverno College Research Center for Women and Girls
Girl Scouts
Institute for Women’s Policy Research
LIFE Study
McKinsey & Co. Women in the Workplace Report
The 2023 Girls’ Index by ROX Full Report 
Wisconsin Women’s Council
Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy