CONSTRUCTING A GENDER WEALTH INDEX
FOR THE PHILADELPHIA REGION
PROJECT LEADS
YEAR 01: DR. KENDRICK DAVIS, LEAD RESEARCHER | KELLY SHEARD, DIRECTOR, GWI
YEAR 02: ALICIA ATKINSON, LEAD RESEARCHER | KELLY SHEARD, DIRECTOR, GWI
THE GENDER WEALTH INDEX RESEARCH PROJECT
In 2022, the WOMEN'S WAY Gender Wealth Institute (GWI) launched a large-scale regional research campaign to identify and address key drivers of gender wealth inequity. This multi-phase comprehensive research strategy will culminate in the creation of the Philadelphia region’s (+Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery) first Gender Wealth Index. This research-enabled assessment tool will be comprised of quantifiable socioeconomic measures, co-constructed by system-impacted communities, designed to drive evidence-based action on policies and practices that enable gender wealth parity and will take into account the ongoing and lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To effectively position ourselves as a leading voice and force for transformational change for women in our region, particularly during COVID-19 recovery, the GWI must ground our strategies in what we know. This exploratory research study allows us to employ a robust and multi-phase research design to aid the strategic planning work of GWI, functioning as a backbone organization and facilitator of change with greater impact. This work will also serve as a critical source of data for practitioners, enabling them to coordinate and align efforts based on relevant and timely information.
The Gender Wealth Index research project was made possible by the following lead investors:
Green Family Foundation
WOMAN'S WAY is thrilled to announce that we are the proud recipient of a $125,000 grant from the Green Family Foundation. This generous support has provided WOMEN’S WAY with the necessary funds to launch the Gender Wealth Index Research Initiative in order to identify and address key drivers of gender wealth inequity and create the Philadelphia region’s first Gender Wealth Index.
JPMorgan Chase
JPMC contributed $75,000 to WOMEN'S WAY as our 2023 Signature Sponsor. This support will help propel the Gender Wealth Index into its next research phase.
Leo Model Foundation
The Leo Model Foundation invested $25,000 in the Gender Wealth Index to grow the capacity and impact of the project.
Working For Women:
Thank you to our partner, Working for Women, who invested $20,000 from their Invest in Women Fund to launch the Gender Wealth Index research project. This initial funding was a crucial step to attract additional funding and make this project a reality.
GWI RESEARCH LEADERSHIP TEAM
WOMEN’S WAY has the leadership, resources, and networks to serve as the backbone institution supporting a large-scale regional qualitative study. The GWI Research Leadership Team is composed of the following:
- Alicia Atkinson, Year 02 Lead Researcher, advocate, yoga teacher, and systems thinker. She is currently an independent consultant who supports organizations focused on expanding economic and racial justice in the Philadelphia region and beyond. She brings a deep commitment to centering the community in decision-making to shift systems towards equity and justice. Alicia holds a Master’s in Public Policy from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Legal Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
- Dr. Kendrick B. Davis, Year 01 Lead Researcher, Principal Investigator for KBD Consulting, LLC.
- Kelly Sheard, the Director of the Gender Wealth Institute, will serve as a link between WOMEN'S WAY and the research team.
- The Gender Wealth Research Advisory Council is a group of informal advisors who commit their time and expertise to ensure the practicality and integrity of the research processes and methodologies. They will also offer a review of public-facing deliverables before dissemination.
- WOMEN’S WAY network of partners who are positioned to help advise and guide the implementation of our research findings.
UNIQUE APPROACH TO RESEARCH
Our team is employing a multi-part mixed methods research effort to construct a composite indicator (index) of the gender wealth environment.
Year 01 Qualitative Field Study
In Year One (2022-2023), we employed a multi-part mixed methods research effort to construct a composite indicator (index) of the gender wealth environment. The GWI research team completed the following key activities:
- Content review of existing policy research on the gendered impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic both nationally and locally
- Collection and analysis of quantitative indicators representing the educational, economic, health, and environmental drivers of gender wealth inequality
- Five-county wide qualitative field study that centers system-impacted women as the experts of their own experiences and agents of change
- Expert review of outcomes and findings for forming and vetting relevant policy and practice recommendations and strategic communications
To learn more about the findings of our qualitative field study, click here to read our September 2023 Gender Wealth Research Report.
Year 02 Participatory Action Research
- Development of Gender Wealth Index Outreach and Engagement Committee
- Convening a subgroup of the Advisory Council with the express purpose of identifying opportunities for conversation and feedback gathering of lived experience indicators.
- Community Conversations
- Hosting conversations with community partners to gather feedback related to indicator refinement and operationalizing index.
- Coauthorship of Policy Guide and Practitioner Guide – Guaranteed Income Focus
- Inviting community members to coauthor a guide on how to use the gender wealth index as a tool or framework for programs and policy advocacy work related to guaranteed income.
ROLE OF WOMEN'S WAY
WOMEN’S WAY works closely with the research team to oversee and manage the three phases of the project. Our primary role in phases I and II is to co-lead the project, connecting the research team with our partners and stakeholders, particularly as it relates to centering the voices of women with lived experiences around economic insecurity.
In Phase III, we will operate as conveners, bringing our expertise to the distribution of the results and bringing partners together to design strategies for application. We envision a series of convenings in which stakeholders analyze, design, and co-create solutions together based on the rich information generated from the research. As a convener, we will provide the structure and format for a kind of think-tank lab, where new pathways, fresh takes, and innovative strategies are grounded in the quantitative information & qualitative wisdom of the research project.
OUTPUTS AND PRODUCTS
Read our September 2023 Gender Wealth Research Report here.
Curious to know what a gender wealth gap means and the myths that uphold it? Start here with the Learning Module to learn about drivers of wealth extraction and hear from women about their experiences.
Learn more about our takeaways from the 3rd Annual Gender Wealth Summit in our Summit Report: Fall 2024.
