Hoosier Women Speak was developed to identify key issues women face in Indiana. The first Hoosier Women Speak listening sessions were conducted from 2011-2012. Seventeen regional listening sessions took place along with an accompanying online survey. The five critical issues detected were health-related issues, work-based issues, caregiving, violence against women, and leadership. Several underlying themes were mentioned consistently across all issues. There was a call for more collaborative and coordinated efforts to address these issues such as: 1) agencies, organizations, and individuals committed to women's issues need to effectively communicate and network with one another to support women more effectively and efficiently, 2) Although many agencies and organizations provide programs and services women need, women just don’t know where to find them, 3) due to the lack of knowledge of where to find resources, there were more requests to provide women with information on programs, resources, and opportunities to participate, 4) the recognition of women’s responsibility to be engaged in public discourse on any issue directly affecting them and be encouraged to participate in finding real solutions and should be given the opportunity to be heard, and 5) men must be engaged in meaningful and positive conversations about issues that are not just women’s issues. Once the research was compiled, follow-up meetings were held in six locations with community leaders and interested individuals. These meetings were debriefed to work towards completing a community action plan with measurable and obtainable action steps. The collective report served as a guide for mobilizing stakeholders from all sectors to find positive, meaningful, and lasting solutions to challenges impacting the lives of women in Indiana.
One additional listening session was held in Richmond/Wayne County due to the recognition from the initial report that there may be issues unique to specific demographic groups or geographic regions. This listening session highlighted several demographic groups that included, but not limited to, ex-offenders, girls, immigrant women, minority women, rural women, senior women, and women veterans. These discussions and results contributed to a better understanding of women's specific needs and better recognition of ways to remove barriers. These listening sessions also assist by informing leaders at the local, county, and state levels of important challenges affecting women both regionally and statewide. By expanding coalitions and building capacity to work across networks to improve outreach efforts.
If your community or group is interested in scheduling a listening session, please contact the Indiana Commission for Women at (317) 232-6720 or info@icw.in.gov.