The article below was published by News at IU: https://news.iu.edu/live/news/44779-polis-centers-state-of-women-report-helps-local
When a local nonprofit organization wanted to create a strategic plan to support and benefit women in Central Indiana and their families, it turned to a trusted source for accurate, up-to-date information.
The Women’s Fund of Central Indiana commissioned The Polis Center at Indiana University Indianapolis to develop the “State of Women in Central Indiana Report.” The document illustrates Hoosier women’s outcomes through a collection of publicly available data summarizing the health, well-being and safety of women primarily in the eight-county Central Indiana region: Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Marion, Morgan and Shelby counties.
The Polis Center, a unit of the IU Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering, collaborates with community partners to improve health, resiliency and quality-of-life outcomes in the state.
“It was a wonderful opportunity to work with the Women’s Fund to put a critical focus on Indiana women and girls,” said Karen Comer, associate director of The Polis Center and principal investigator for the “State of Women in Central Indiana Report.” “We welcome doing this type of analysis work and helping to disseminate findings to the community.”
The report highlighted several recurring themes:
- Distinct vulnerabilities around women’s health and well-being in Central Indiana.
- Deficiencies in housing and financial security.
- Deficiencies in well-paying jobs for women despite a demographic shift in educational attainment.
- Significant and unpaid caregiver obligations facing many women.
“The report quantifies many of the major challenges facing all Hoosier populations today,” said Tamara Winfrey-Harris, president of the Women’s Fund of Central Indiana. “But not enough of us understand the implication of our region being 52% female. If Central Indiana doesn’t work for women, then it doesn’t work. The Polis Center has provided us with a manual on how we can get this region working for more Hoosier households.”
Turning to trusted source
When Winfrey-Harris began her role as president in 2023, the Women’s Fund board approved her request to create a strategic plan, something the organization hadn’t done for a while. However, she needed accurate, up-to-date information to do it right.
She turned to a known and trusted source for assistance.
The Polis Center had created the “State of Aging in Central Indiana Report” in 2020 for the Central Indiana Senior Fund, which, like the Women’s Fund, is part of the Central Indiana Community Foundation.
“The Polis Center regularly works with stakeholders and community partners to support their decision-making and strategic planning,” Comer said. “We are a neutral entity. We aim to be a trusted partner and trusted information source.”
The Polis Center was hired in spring 2024 and shared the final report in November.
Winfrey-Harris said the Women’s Fund asked The Polis Center for information regarding physical and mental health, personal safety, intimate partner violence and economic mobility for women in the region. The Women’s Fund created an advisory committee of community leaders that acted as a sounding board to help The Polis Center refine its searches and clearly communicate the findings to the general reader.
“Anyone whose decisions impact Hoosier women can and should use this report in their analysis,” Winfrey-Harris said.
Kayla Duncan, community analysis project coordinator for The Polis Center, led the project team’s primary data collection efforts and coordinated the team’s overall efforts. A key tool was Polis’ SAVI Community Information System, one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive community information systems. Used since the mid-1990s, it helps people and organizations make data-informed decisions in planning and advocacy.
SAVI involves more than 70 data sources from local, state and federal levels covering education, socioeconomics, crime, health and welfare, geography and place, and more.
“We have a team of analysts, and we divide and conquer based on their different areas of expertise,” Duncan said.
The advisory committee connected the data collection team with women-centered organizations and neighborhood leaders in the counties to help validate information collected and compare it to lived experiences. Interviews with six focus groups aided the data collection process, Duncan said.
“It was great; they were a fresh set of eyes,” she said. “It was helpful to know if something would be confusing to the lay audience.” Duncan said.
Winfrey-Harris said The Polis Center was responsive and thoughtful and did a fantastic job with the report.
Data results and action plans
Some of the notable findings listed in the report include:
- Median earnings for Central Indiana women are 70 cents on the dollar compared to men. A gender pay gap exists for part-time workers and for full-time workers, and it persists for every race and every level of education.
- Young women are more likely to live in poverty than any other age group: 17% of Central Indiana women age 18 to 34 are in poverty, compared to 11% of the overall population of Central Indiana.
- Single mothers who rent pay an average 48% of their income in housing costs, more than any other household type. Also, according to estimates from Eviction Lab, 61% of evictions in Marion County are filed against women, but only 52% of Marion County renters are women.
- One hundred thousand women live in food deserts in Central Indiana, including 15% of Marion County residents.
- Nearly 30% of women in Central Indiana reported experiencing depression, with the highest rates among women age 18 to 34.
The Women’s Fund of Central Indiana is using the report to aid in programming and internal decisions such as awarding grants through its Women in Health Collaborative Fund.
The report was shared with community leaders in Central Indiana counties as well as state lawmakers. Winfrey-Harris said the Women’s Fund continues to meet with people, put the report in their hands and discuss it.
Also, two virtual community forums are planned to discuss aspects of the report:
- 9 to 11 a.m. May 29: Discussion of the policy implications of the state of women’s mental health. To attend, register through EventBrite.
- 9 to 11 a.m. Nov. 13: Discussion of the policy implications of the state of women’s reproductive rights. To attend, register through EventBrite.
Winfrey-Harris said the “State of Women in Central Indiana Report” has been a valuable tool for the Women’s Fund in its work.
“When we’re asked to tell about the state of women here in Central Indiana, we’ll be able to lift up the data and keep women’s actual lived experiences top of mind,” Winfrey-Harris said.
