Letter to the Editor (Published Aug 9, 2026 in the Chattanooga Times Free Press)

Last summer, the Women’s Fund of Greater Chattanooga (WFGC) collected more than 500 survey responses and conducted 5 focus groups. Questions ranged from values that they cared about to issues that personally affected them and their families. As a non-profit organization that encourages advocacy, collaboration, and collective philanthropy to improve the lives of women and girls in our state, we thought it was time to ask women what they need to live better lives for themselves and their families. 

The results were part predictable, part surprising (You can find our full report at https://tinyurl.com/WFGC-fullreport). It was no surprise that many women identified affordable and accessible healthcare as a top issue, as well as fair pay and employment options. But building community ranked as the second most important issue - an option that we did not expect to see in the top three. Sixty-seven percent of women across all groups ranked these three issues highly. It should not have been a surprise - the social, political, and economic landscape has changed significantly in the past 20 years. Advancements in technology, lack of paid leave, and wage stagnation contribute to people feeling disconnected, unable to achieve economic mobility and opportunity, and stuck behind big systemic issues - powerless and alone. 

The women in the focus groups shared deeply private experiences around navigating local healthcare systems, pregnancy loss, financial and sexual abuse, housing, jobs, and more. These experiences can ften be isolating and cause embarrassment or shame because women feel they can’t share their story or that they are alone in their experience. With every story shared, the women felt more comfortable sharing their own experiences and supporting each other.

Women also told us their top social values: equity, the right to vote, and justice. These personal social values are deeply interconnected. Women want an even playing field with equity. We want our voices to be heard and considered with our right to vote. And we want justice, which can take various forms but for many, it means accountability when things go wrong.

A common theme throughout this initiative was women saying they needed a stronger community to celebrate successes, support challenges, and work towards the future. Together, they would be able to better advocate for a more just, safe, and equitable world for everyone.

So where do we go from here? WFGC was started locally in 2008 because Tennessee ranks among the worst states for women and girls in areas including maternal mortality, representation in elected office, and leadership in top companies. Today, we bring women together to connect and change these outcomes through advocacy, collective philanthropy, and providing leadership and networking opportunities. 

We are in a unique moment in our history and community that calls for courageous leadership and proactive advocacy. With this feedback, we are going to dig deeper into policy areas including access to healthcare and fair pay to ensure we understand the main drivers of change and how we can impact them. We will provide opportunities for women to become empowered to create change, through building skills and knowledge, encouraging specific actions, and driving change at work, home, and everywhere in between. And we are going to work on developing community - through events, partnering with others, and connecting with women from all walks of life. It is our responsibility to ensure all women know they are welcome and their voice and participation are essential to build the kind of community and state that reflects their values for the future.

We are grateful to everyone that shared their lived experiences with us. We know there is much work to be done, and we invite you to join our community and make change happen together. Learn more about us at chattanoogawomensfund.org.