From Challenge to Opportunity: A Report on the Status of Women & Girls in Northwest CT

The report provides details about the challenges in educational attainment, employment and domestic violence experienced by women and girls in our Northwest Corner and reveals opportunities to address these challenges and make meaningful improvements. The Women & Girls Fund is a fund of The Community Foundation of Northwest CT.

In our Northwest Corner:

• 51 percent of residents are female, and they earn 62.5 cents for every dollar a Northwest Corner man earns, far less than the national average of 77 cents.
• Of the 4,400 female-headed households in our area, 38 percent of them are living in poverty.
• Female college graduates earn more than 58 percent more than high school graduates, but by the age of 24, only 14 percent of women in Northwest CT have earned a bachelor's degree.
• In addition to economic challenges, there continues to be a sharp and sustained increase in the number of women and children seeking shelter from domestic violence in our 20 towns.

View videos about the Women & Girls Fund and the grants that make a difference:

​The Women & Girls Fund, initiated by the Community Foundation in 1999, supports programs that address women’s needs and contribute to the welfare of children.