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The Foundation researches and educates on women’s issues to acknowledge barriers and identify opportunities.
Commissioned by the WNY Women’s Foundation and created by UB Regional Institute, the 2010 Pathways to Progress Report examined the issues facing women and girls in our community. The report started an ongoing region-wide dialogue about the best ways to support and elevate women and girls.
Pathways to Progress, Vol. 2, a report created by the WNY Women’s Foundation, keeps us moving forward. The new report expands the dialogue with updated data that explore the current status of women and girls in WNY. By diving into the barriers women face throughout their lifespans, the report highlights opportunities and success stories. This educational tool is available to the community thanks to the generous support of the James H. Cummings Foundation, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, Health Foundation of Western & Central NY, John R. Oishei Foundation, Joy Family Foundation, Patrick P. Lee Foundation, SEFCU, and WNY Foundation.
Download Pathways to Progress, Vol. 2. Read it, digest, and find the connections that you can make to the women and girls in your family, community, and work. The full reference list for the report is available for download and many of the reports cited are included in this data hub.
In our effort to educate the community and raise awareness, the Foundation has curated research and organized it by topic area. The research below can be filtered by topic with citations and links to original researchers. Alternately, it can be sorted by date of publication. Contact us if your organization has a report to include.
Topic: Higher Education/Workforce Development
Investing in Single Mothers’ Higher Education: Costs and Benefits to Individuals, Families, and Society
Postsecondary education is a reliable pathway to economic security and is increasingly important to securing family-sustaining employment.
Published Oct. 2018 Institute for Women's Policy Research
Single Mothers with College Degrees Much Less Likely to Live in Poverty
Earning a postsecondary degree is a well-established pathway out of poverty, and degrees are especially life-changing for women raising children on their own.
Published Jul. 2018 Institute for Women's Policy Research
Time Demands of Single Mother College Students and the Role of Child Care in their Postsecondary Success
Time Use Among Single Mothers in College: Tradeoffs between Child Care, Studying, and Self-Care
Published May. 2018 Institute for Women's Policy Research
Understanding the New College Majority
The Demographic and Financial Characteristics of Independent Students and their Postsecondary Outcomes
Published Feb. 2018 Institute for Women's Policy Research
Is Your Campus Family Friendly? Data and Tools to Promote Student Parent Success
Building a collaborative approach to improving conditions for parenting students on campus
Published Jan. 2018 Institute for Women's Policy Research
Single Mothers in College: Growing Enrollment, Financial Challenges, and the Benefits of Attainment
Data on moms in college by race, unmet financial need, and benefits of their success
Published Sep. 2017 Institute for Women's Policy Research
Investing in the next generation
A Bottom-Up Approach to Creating Better Outcomes for Children and Youth
Published Aug. 2017 Brookings Institution
Deeper in Debt: Women and Student Loans
This report looks at how student debt became a women's issue.
Published May. 2017 American Association of University Women
Niagara Falls students seek better sex education than “abstinence only”
Need for other forms of sex education.
Published May. 2017 The Buffalo News
The Family-Friendly Campus Imperative: Supporting Success Among Community College Students with Children
Ensuring Economic Security and Meeting the Workforce Needs of the Nation
Published Mar. 2017 Institute for Women's Policy Research
The Family-Friendly Campus Imperative
This paper presents a portrait of the community college student parent population, their unique needs, and discusses the role that child care plays in their educational success.
Published Mar. 2017 Institute for Women's Policy Research
Closing the Skills Gap
The “skills gap” in the United States is serious. Here is how to do better.
Published Feb. 2017 McKinsey & Company
STEM starts early: Grounding science, technology, engineering, and math education in early education
There is a correlation between early experiences with STEM subjects and later success in these subjects or in school generally.
Published Jan. 2017 The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop
The Simple Truth About The Gender Pay Gap
The pay gap affects women of different demographics and is caused by different experiences. There are things individuals can do to change this.
Published Jan. 2017 American Association of University Women
A Fair Shot for Millennial Women and Families
How millennial women are affected by student debt, race, and other demographics
Published Nov. 2016 Center for American Progress
The Complex Data on Girls in STEM
Goals are to increase girls' persistence and resilience in STEM studies to develop their career paths.
Published May. 2016 The Atlantic
NOT JUST About More Time
"A case for stretching the definition of expanded learning time to include academic and non-academic support services especially for low income students"
Published May. 2016 Say Yes to Education
New, Uniform Sexual Assault Policy to Protect New York’s College Students
New York State wants students to be able to have sexual assaults investigated and prosecuted.
Published Jan. 2015 New York State
The Status of Women in the States
The Status of Women in New York, 2015: Highlights
Published Jan. 2015 Institute for Women's Policy Research
Unlocking Opportunity for African American Girls: A Call to Action for Educational Equity
This report shines a spotlight on the barriers faced by African American girls and women, and the impact on their lives. It contains recommendations for educators, school leaders, communities, advocates, policymakers, and philanthropic organizations to take action to advance the success of African American girls.
Published Sep. 2014 National Women's Law Center
The Women’s Leadership Gap
Women's leadership by the numbers.
Published Mar. 2014 Center for American Progress
College affordability for low-income adults
Improving returns on investment for families and society
Published Jan. 2014 Institute for Women's Policy Research
Unlocking Opportunity for African American Girls
A call to action for educational equity.
Published Jan. 2014 NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, & National Women's Law Center
On pay gap, millennial women near parity – for now
Despite gains, many see roadblocks ahead.
Published Dec. 2013 Pew Research Center
Teen Pregnancy Affects Graduation Rates
Academic achievement difficult for teen parents.
Published Jun. 2013 National Conference of State Legislatures
Women as mentors: Does she or doesn’t she?
A global study of businesswomen and mentoring.
Published Jan. 2013 DDI
2011-12 Community Needs Assessment
Looking at needs in Erie County in education, income, health and wellness, and overarching concerns
Published Jan. 2012 United Way of Buffalo and Erie County
Women in STEM – A Gender Gap Innovation
Women are underrepresented in STEM
Published Aug. 2011 U.S. Department of Commerce
Why so few? Women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
This report demonstrates the effects of societal beliefs and the learning environment on girls’ achievements and interest in science and math.
Published Jan. 2010 American Association of University Women
The Sexual Victimization of College Women
Understanding prevalence and nature of violence against women.
Published Jan. 2000 U.S. Department of Justice