Local Research Studies

For the past 20 years, the Women’s Fund of Omaha  has been at the forefront of research on issues impacting local women. A dozen research studies have examined and defined issues such as economic conditions, domestic violence and the status of women’s leadership in Omaha. Recent reports include:

  • "Intimate Partner Violence in Omaha" - This study by Wilder Research of Minnesota focuses on survivor needs, services available and opportunities to better serve them. - 2010
  • "Women & Leadership in Omaha" – This is a follow-up to the 1996 study that established a local benchmark for female corporate, political and community leadership. It offers a statistical update of that baseline research and adds a new dimension: interviews with 83 of Omaha's top leaders in corporate, education, healthcare and not-for-profit organizations – 2006.
  • The number of women in leadership positions in the Omaha area overall remained relatively stagnant from 2006 to 2008, according to the latest update to the “Women and Leadership in Omaha” report.
  • Girls in Real Life (G.I.R.L.) Report -- The community's first comprehensive assessment on the status of girls in the Omaha area was produced by six community agencies - Camp Fire USA, Girls Inc., Girl Scouts - Great Plains Council, Voices for Children in Nebraska, Women's Fund of Greater Omaha and YWCA – 2006.
  • How Women Are Doing in Omaha? – In 1990, the Women's Fund released a comprehensive report on how women in Omaha were doing. This report is an update, comparing the 1990 data with 2000 census information.
  • What Women Want at Work – A study of what employers can do to help the women of Omaha be more productive at work. – 2002.
 

National Studies

Nationally, a number of recent studies have focused on women and leadership, economic and educational opportunities, and women in the work force. The following focus on issues impacting women, and many offer suggestions to overcome barriers.

  • The “Shriver Report “by Maria Shriver and the Center for American Progress reports that, for the first time in history, women make up half of the U.S. workforce, and mothers are the primary breadwinners or co-breadwinners in nearly two-thirds of American homes. “And that changes everything,” the report notes.
  • The White House Project’s “Benchmarking Women’s Leadership” study notes: “… while women may be participating in the workforce in equal – or in some cases, higher – numbers relative to their male peers, they rarely make it to the top.
  • Citi Education Series on Family Economic Security at the National Women’s Law Center. Designed to improve the economic and educational opportunities of low-income women and their families. http://www.nwlc.org/educationseries/
  • Kids Count Data Center. Access hundreds of measures of child well-being. http://datacenter.kidscount.org/
  • Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (2010 – American Association of University Women). Provides in-depth research findings that point to environmental and social barriers that continue to block women’s participation and progress in science technology, engineering and math. http://www.aauw.org/research/whysofew.cfm
  • Women at Work (2003 – American Association of University of Women). Combines interview and survey data with recent U.S. census statistics to explore how women are faring in today’s work force and what their prospects are for future job success and security. An accompanying action guide helps translate the research findings into action. http://www.aauw.org/research/upload/womenAtWork.pdf
  • Community Coalitions Manual with Lessons Learned from The Girls Can! Project (2000 – American Association of University Women). A guide for establishing and sustaining effective coalition-based programs that covered volunteer recruitment, project planning, fundraising and public relations, with contact information for more than 200 organizations and lessons from the Girls Can! Community Coalitions Project, a nationwide gender equity program. http://www.aauw.org/research/upload/communityCoalitionsManual.pdf

  • A Platform for Progress: Building a Better Future for Women and Their Families. National Women’s Law Center 2008. www.nwlc.org/pdf/PlatformforProgress2008.pdf