Why a Gender Wealth Framework?
For too long, traditional definitions of wealth have overlooked the lived experiences of women and other gender-marginalized people. Measures like income or savings can provide a snapshot, but they don’t capture the full picture of what it takes to thrive.
At WOMEN’S WAY, we believe that real wealth goes beyond money; it’s about security, dignity, freedom, and joy. That’s why we created the Gender Wealth Framework: a tool to reimagine wealth as a collective, holistic experience. We invite you to explore and learn more below.
At WOMEN'S WAY, we turn to the definition of wealth crafted by The Maven Collaborative, which guides our approach to advancing gender economic equity and the development of the Gender Wealth Framework.
“When wealth is accumulated, it allows us to live and retire with greater dignity, freedom, and peace of mind and for our communities to be prosperous, resilient, and vibrant. Wealth allows us to provide future generations with the freedom to dream big and become all they truly can be. It also means being healthy, and knowing that your family, networks, and communities are healthy, spiritually whole, and contributing.”
What Is the Gender Wealth Framework?
The Gender Wealth Framework is a tool that helps practitioners, funders, and policymakers design, invest in, and evaluate programs and policies that advance gender equity and close the gender wealth gap. The Framework redefines wealth beyond assets and liabilities and beyond checklists of outputs like dollars saved or programs attended. Explore more below!
Click on the image above to explore the main elements of the Gender Wealth Framework.
Read The Gender Wealth Framework: Expanding How We Define, Measure, and Build Wealth
Learn from our Chief Strategy Officer, Kelly Sheard
Watch our 5 Dimensions of the Gender Wealth Framework Playlist
The 5 Dimensions of the Gender Wealth Framework
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What makes the Gender Wealth Framework Unique?
Challenges harmful narratives
Challenges the deeply embedded narratives of bootstrapping, toxic individualism, and anti-Blackness that perpetuate harmful and inadequate responses to wealth inequity.
Elevates collectivism & interdependence
Recognizes how family relationships and community well-being shape economic outcomes
Supports systemic reflection
Requires reflection on how laws, policies and practices align or misalign with gender equity goals.
Centers participant-defined success
Prioritizes lived-experience insights as a valid form of knowledge over rigid, top-down metrics.
Who is the framework for?
The Gender Wealth Framework is a guide for anyone working to close the gender wealth gap and advance equity.
- Practitioners can use the framework to design and evaluate programs
- Funders can use it to inform strategic investments and shift how they define and measure success.
- Policymakers can use it to design equitable policies that move beyond short-term fixes and toward systemic solutions to close the gender wealth gap
The Framework encourages reflection at every level: What do we need to be well? How can we honor interpersonal connections and community abundance? How do we build equitable systems that prioritize care and support?
How We Built It
WOMEN’S WAY developed the five dimensions of the Gender Wealth Framework through a multi-phase process grounded in research, community engagement, and lived experience.
PHASE ONE: QUALITATIVE FIELD STUDY
In partnership with KBD Consulting, WOMEN’S WAY conducted a mixed-methods research study to better understand the factors that shape gender wealth, including a comprehensive literature and data review, a survey completed by 409 individuals, and collaboration with advisory and working groups. This research informed the development of a composite indicator (index) and laid the foundation for the Gender Wealth Framework.
Research Team: Diane Cornman-Levy (WOMEN’S WAY Chief Disruptor), Dr. Kendrick B. Davis (Lead Researcher, Principal Investigator for KBD Consulting, LLC), Kelly Sheard (WOMEN’S WAY Chief Strategy Officer), Danielle Walker (KBD Consulting, LLC), Gender Wealth Research Advisory Council
PHASE TWO: PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH
Building on the initial research, WOMEN’S WAY hosted community conversations and engaged people with lived experience to validate, deepen, and refine the Framework’s five dimensions. One example of this is at the Annual Gender Wealth Summit, where more than 90 people reviewed and gave feedback on the early Framework. This collaborative process ensured the Framework reflects the realities of people’s lives and a more expansive understanding of wealth.
The Gender Wealth Framework will continue to evolve through ongoing partnership with communities to ensure it remains responsive, relevant, and grounded in lived experience.
Research Team: Alicia Atkinson (Lead Researcher), Diane Cornman-Levy (WOMEN’S WAY Chief Disruptor), Kelly Sheard (WOMEN’S WAY Chief Strategy Officer), Gender Wealth Research Advisory Council
Thank you to our Gender Wealth Framework Sponsors: The Green Family Foundation; JPMorgan Chase; Leo Model Foundation; Working for Women
Interested in learning more?
Whether you’re a funder, nonprofit, policymaker, or community leader, we’d love to connect. Reach out to learn how the Gender Wealth Framework can inform your work and help advance gender equity in the Greater Philadelphia region.
